Show the World
by Ziva- Zia- Z
Summary: An Ozian Olympic sport. A rocky relationship. And the school that could help them see that they're more than just teammates, they're partners. In every way, shape and form, both on and off the ice. Fiyeraba.
1. Chapter 1

**Show the World**

 **Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **Summary: An Ozian Olympic sport. A rocky relationship. And the school that could help them see that they're more than just teammates, they're partners. In every way, shape and form, both on and off the ice. Fiyeraba.**

 **A/N: So a little side note- my brother plays Curling, that's how he and Zani met. Officially. They were on opposing teams practicing at our local rink when they got shoved together for mixed doubles. They'll both tell you that they met in class and all that, but in _actuality_ , they met at a Curling practice when they were in high school. And all I remember is my brother telling me about the cute Skip with the brown curls and the crooked grin that kept knocking his stones out of the button just to- he was certain- piss him off. **

**Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

Glinda Upland sighed, flicking through a magazine. She'd arrived early, signed in, and now waited as the other students filled the green. They would be allowed to move into their dorms once all students had arrived and the official _Welcoming to Shiz_ was over.

The bright, afternoon sunshine flitted through the trees, but Glinda paid it no mind. She wanted nothing more than to move into her room and begin unpacking; offered a place in the either the Pink Dormitory, or to share a room with one other girl, she'd taken the second option. Despite her father's wealth as a lawyer, a private suite wasn't one of the options given, but she could handle sharing with another girl.

Students old and new alike milled about, reacquainting themselves or acquainting themselves with each other. So far, Glinda hadn't made many friends; being an only child meant she was fairly reserved and spoiled, but when it came to new people, she was practically mute. She'd never been around many people of other races, and it intimidated her, to say the least.

A car rolling up through the iron gates caused all students to turn their heads, and after several minutes, the doors opened and a pair stepped out. Instantly, excited whispers began to swirl through the crowd. Glinda watched as suitcases were set down, followed by a couple duffel bags, one of which was snatched up and slung over a shoulder.

"Try not to kill each other, please? You have a competition coming up, and I would rather have both of you participating than just one. It's called Mixed Doubles for a _reason_." The pair rolled their eyes, but agreed, and after a moment, both gave the woman speaking a hug. "And remember, you're _not just_ here to be able to use the ice rink, you're here for an education, to have fun and make friends."

"Friends? What are those?" The guy asked, jokingly. "Fabala doesn't make friends, she makes teammates, remember?"

" _Shut up, Yero!_ " The girl shoved him in annoyance.

"Hey! Remember what I said about killing each other?" The two had the decency to look somewhat ashamed.

"Ah, there are our Ozlympian students. Miss Thropp, Master Tigelaar." The pair turned as Madame Morrible, Headmistress of Shiz University, moved through the crowd towards the pair. "I'm Madame Morrible. Welcome to Shiz University."

* * *

Glinda craned her neck to see, despite the group of students gathered around. But that group suddenly parted as Morrible moved through, the two students following in silence. As the Welcome speech started, no one paid attention; they were too focused on the two students, who'd quite quickly slipped off to a tree not far from the crowd. They faced each other, sharing a lazy conversation in a language no one seemed to understand. The girl pulled out an apple from her bag, wiping it quickly on her sleeve before taking a bite. A moment passed, before he reached out, taking the apple from her and stealing a bite before handing it back.

"... and we have the distinct pleasure of having two current Ozlympians attending Shiz for the current year. Fiyero Tigelaar and Elphaba Thropp. Please, try to make them feel welcome."

The pair suddenly looked up to find themselves the center of attention. The apple dropped from the girl's hand, and she tucked her hands behind her back, glancing at her partner. The whispers soon intensified, but Morrible's voice stopped them. "Now, you may take your rooming assignments-"

But Glinda didn't hear the rest, she was too focused on the pair as they moved to join everyone else, after the other students moved to gather their things and shuffle off to their respective rooms. Once the green had pretty much cleared out, the pair made their way towards her and Morrible. It was then that Glinda noticed that the girl was... well, a rather peculiar shade of emerald green. Her long black hair was slicked back in a high, straight ponytail, and she wore the same type of gear he did. But she was small, slender, compared to her partner, who was a head taller than her, and fairly well built, with skin the color of warm bread.

"I trust that Mulhama informed you that we're either to be rooming together or we're to have our own private suites." Her voice was soft, lilting even.

"That was brought up, yes, but unfortunately, co-ed rooming is not allowed at Shiz. And a private suite for each of you would be an option, if there isn't another girl who needs a roommate, Miss Elphaba. And, there is one girl who is in need of a roommate. Miss... Galinda Upland?"

"It's Glinda, Madame." The blonde in question replied. A quick glance from the emerald-skinned girl told Glinda exactly what she thought of her.

"Why do you insist on rooming women with women and men with men? Is Shiz really _so_ backward?"

"Fabala, let it go."

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "This is _ridiculous_. We've been rooming together since we were eight-years-old. It's natural for teammates to room together, regardless of gender. They roomed us together at St. Prowd's back when we were _children_. How is _that_ any different than _this_?"

"This is a _university,_ Fabala."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Yero. I know very well where we are." Morrible raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure a private suite isn't an option?"

"Unfortunately not, Miss Elphaba. Mulhama thought it would be good for you to be around other female company." The headmistress replied, handing the young woman a slip of paper. The woman in question took it with a look of disgust, but then plastered a smile on her face. Once satisfied, the headmistress left to check on the other students in Crage. Once she was gone, the smile fell from the girl's face, and she turned to the blonde.

"You must be... Galinda?"

"Glinda, actually. It's a... nickname." She held out her hand, but the girl just stared at it, before her partner shoved her lightly, and she reached out; the two shook hands awkwardly. "So, where are you two from?" The pair shared a glance, before turning back to her.

"The Vinkus." Fiyero replied, adjusting the strap of his bag.

"Both of you?"

"I was born in Munchkinland but I was raised in the Vinkus." Elphaba replied, a bored expression crossing her features, as though she'd explained this a thousand times, which she probably had.

"Oh. How did you end up in the Vinkus if you were born in Munchkinland? And.. wait, Thropp, isn't that the Governor of Munchkinland's last name? And Tigelaar- isn't your family royalty?"

The pair shared a glance, before moving to collect their luggage.

"Good guess, I'm the Governor's daughter. The one he didn't want. Yero here's a Crown Prince, but he'd rather throw stones and sweep ice with me instead of rule a country."

" _God, Fabala,_ can't you ever keep your mouth _shut?_ " He ground out, and she elbowed him in the stomach.

" _Can it_ , _Yero_." Then, she turned back to Glinda. "Might as well go settle into our dorm, since we're going to be roommmates."

"Sounds great." Glinda gave her a bright smile, and Elphaba forced one of her own.

"Great."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

The first official week of classes didn't start until the following week, which meant the current week was for students to get acquainted with the campus, find their classes, get their books and settle into their dorms and their new lives on campus. For Glinda, it would be a challenge; she'd never lived on a campus before, never shared a room with another girl, let alone a whole floor with other girls.

But for Elphaba, she was used to sharing a room; used to living on a floor with other students. St. Prowd's had been the most prestigious school in the Vinkus, for young, rising athletic stars like her and Fiyero. But she was so used to sharing a room with her teammate, that being stuck in a room with another girl was...

There were no words to accurately describe the annoyance.

Glinda had decked out her half of the room in pink; it looked like a cupcake had exploded over half the dorm. As for Elphaba, not having been allowed much in her dorm at St. Prowd's- mainly because she and Yero had shared a room from the time they were eight, so, ten years- she didn't have much, not that she cared. Once her few things were unpacked and put away, she grabbed her duffel, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?"

Elphaba stopped. "Out."

"Where could you possibly be going that requires a duffel bag? Unless you're going to rob a bank?"

The young woman rolled her eyes, before turning to her knew roommate. "Don't worry about it. And for the record, how about this? You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Besides, we aren't exactly each others' type. I've got more important things to focus on besides shoes and... fashion." Then, before Glinda could open her mouth, she was gone, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

He found her practicing twizzles on the ice; choosing her ice skates over her sliders. Clearly, she'd had a tough afternoon, because the only time she ever chose skating over sliding was when she'd had a bad day. "Mind if I join you?"

She looked up as she glided past. "Knock yourself out."

In minutes, he'd joined her on the smooth surface, sliding out to her. She'd slipped her phone into a portable speaker and turned it on, preferring music to silence. "I take it getting to know your new roommate went well."

"If you count the insurmountable pink that exploded in the room, or the fact that she won't shut up for more than five minutes, then yes, it went fine." He shook his head. "How's your roommate situation?"

"I don't have one."

Her mouth dropped in surprise. "How is that far? I get forced to room with a blonde bimbo while _you_ get a room to yourself? And yet she doesn't even _consider_ that if I can't room with you, I'd rather room alone? _How is that fair_?"

"Take it up with her? Or try to get along with Glimba?"

"Yeah, like _that's_ gonna happen." She replied, racing off. He sighed, chasing after her. "The last thing I want is to become friends with the cupcake. I have more important things to focus on than becoming some blonde's friend, Yero. Like school, and competition, and keeping my sponsors. Because unlike you, I have to _earn_ mine. Remember?" She pulled off a triple axel, allowing him to catch up as she slowed down.

"You don't need to earn yours, Fabala, you have just as much talent if not more than anyone else, and you know it."

"Tell that to my father." She grumbled, as he grabbed her hand and tugged her along. They fell into an easy, relaxing routine; one they'd skated before. It was often a surprise to people, the talent both teens- for they were both barely eighteen; Fiyero would turn eighteen next May, and Elphaba next September- possessed in regards to the ice. Though their main strengths were in Roaring, they did have a good repertoire in regards to skating as well- both singles and pairs. It wasn't uncommon to watch the pair cross into both, depending on the competition. However, if they were lucky, they'd attend the Ozlympics as a Mixed Double for Roaring in two years.

If.

They had the talent, they just needed to qualify, and that meant beating out every other Vinkun team for a chance. They- no, _Elphaba_ \- needed this chance. She could lose everything if they didn't place; and everything for her meant being sent back to her father in Munchkinland, when the man had sent her to the Vinkus for a _reason_. Okay, _more_ than one reason, but the _main_ reason was because he wanted nothing to do with her.

So he pawned the daughter he despised off on someone else- the King and Queen of the Vinkus, to be precise.

"Fabala, we'll be fine. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone. Least of all that bastard you share DNA with. Or me." He replied, taking her shoulders. "We'll be fine, okay?" A moment passed, before she nodded. "Good." He kissed her softly, before taking her hand. "Come on. I know we passed by this small pub called the... Bean and Kidneys, I think. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Bean and Kidneys? Lovely."

"Hey, it could be called the Anus and Rectum and I could care less, as long as it serves decent food." He quickly untied his skates and slipped out of them. She made a face.

"That's _disgusting_ , Yero."

"That's _my point_ , Fabala. I don't care about the name as long as the food is good. Now come on." Once they were back in regular shoes, he grabbed her wrist, tugging her out of the rink.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

Glinda discovered that she had no real trouble making friends, it turned out. She'd met three girls that were just as well off as her- Milla, Pfhanne and ShenShen- and the four quickly became a fixture at the small boutiques dotting the city around the college.

"So, what's it like?"

"What's what like?" Glinda asked, meeting ShenShen's gaze as they sat chatting over coffee at the school cafe. Because classes didn't start until next week, the students were allowed to get used to campus now- including all the hangouts, like the cafe.

"Rooming with the green bean."

Glinda swallowed hard. She'd noticed her roommate's unusual color, but such a cruel nickname hadn't sprung to her mind. If anything, she'd been too preoccupied with the things her roommate had brought with her to really take stock of her skin.

"How could you call her that?" Milla cried, swatting ShenShen. "She's one of the top athletes in the Vinkus. I hear, if she and her partner place in qualifications, they'll go to the Ozlympics in two years."

"Morrible _did_ say they were Ozlymp-" But all conversation stopped as the pair in question entered the cafe, duffels over their shoulders. They ordered and then took a table not far from the quartet of girls, who, besides Glinda, quickly gathered together.

"I heard he's a _Crown Prince_."

"If that's so, then why is he playing a sport? And with _her_?"

"I heard she was the Governor's daughter."

"Governor? Which Governor?"

"The _Munchkinland_ Governor, Pfhanne."

Glinda glanced over her shoulder, watching as Elphaba scooted closer to Fiyero; the pair were looking over something in a notebook, talking in rapid tones and making adjustments. At one point, Elphaba took the pencil from him and erased something, drawing what appeared to be a line on the page before handing it back. He shook his head, erasing what she'd just drawn. "Then what do you suggest, Yero? We try for _pairs_ instead? We've been working our asses off to go as a Mixed, and now you want to throw it out because you don't like the play?"

"I didn't say that, Fabala. I just meant that that specific play _won't_ work. Iskinaary and Nikidik tried it three years ago, and it cost them Regionals, remember?"

"Of course I remember, Yero. We took their place!" She sat back, grabbing her mug. "Look, all I'm saying, is that it's worth a shot. Just because Iskinaary and Nikidik didn't succeed doesn't mean we won't. We're smarter and younger and better than they are-"

"Fabala, they'd won Worlds _six_ times in a row. They're Roaring legends for a _reason_."

"Exactly. They're _legends_. They're Mixed career is done. Ours is just beginning. Yero, if we pull off this play, we could win Worlds next."

He set the notebook down and tossed the pencil on top of it before grabbing his mug. "We need to win Regionals before we can even _consider_ winning Worlds, Fabala. And then we need to best everyone else to even qualify for the team."

"Which we can do. God, Yero, don't you have any _faith in us_? We've come this far-"

"You know I do." He replied, sitting up and leaning towards her.

"I wonder if he likes being with her, or if he's forced to." ShenShen ventured, tearing Glinda away from her study. From what she could tell, the two seemed pretty comfortable around each other. And Elphaba had said that they'd been basically together since they were eight.

* * *

Classes started the next week, much to basically everyone's chagrin. Of course, the soon-to-be monotony of classes was broken by the two young athletes, for Elphaba and Fiyero had a few classes together- he was majoring in Politics and she in Life Sciences- and their presence never failed to set tongues waging. It didn't help that the two sat together in the far corner, even going so far as to share a desk. It was as though the pair couldn't bear to be apart for very long, something Glinda found extremely odd.

She and Elphaba hadn't shared two words to each other that resembled a conversation since the day they'd moved into the dorm, and Elphaba seemed perfectly fine with that. She wanted to be left alone, and Glinda left her alone, though she couldn't help but watch her roommate.

The young girl was quiet, studious- when she wasn't running off to wherever she disappeared to at the one in the afternoon every day but Sunday. She never had afternoon classes- in fact, Glinda didn't see either Elphaba or Fiyero after about twelve-thirty. It was as though they both vanished into thin air, before returning to their respective dorms in the mid-evening. And she hardly heard Elphaba say a word- to her at least- but always to Fiyero. She _always_ had something to say to him.

Their relationship was strange, to say the least.

So it was a surprise to the blonde when she came back from class one Friday afternoon three weeks later, to find the pair standing in the doorway of the dorm, having a heated argument in a language Glinda didn't understand. Elphaba waved her hands in annoyance, and Fiyero said something back, that caused her to snort in derision.

"Um..." Glinda softly cleared her throat, and the pair stopped, turning to her. The three stood staring at each other awkwardly- well, _they_ were staring at her, and it was getting awkward. "Sorry, I... I didn't mean to interrupt." She slipped past Elphaba into the room.

"You didn't interrupt anything, Glinda." The young woman replied, causing Glinda to turn as Elphaba turned her attention back to her partner. "And as for you, if that's the way you're gonna be, then we play Regionals, but after that I quit! You can find yourself a new partner!"

"Fabala, you _can't_ be serious!"

"I am serious! I'm sick of this! You don't understand how important this is to me! How much _I_ need this! _All of this!_ But you don't care! About any of it! And _certainly_ not about me!" And without another word, she stormed back into the room and slammed the door.

Glinda watched her roommate storm over to her bed, wondering what had gone so wrong for the pair in such a short amount of time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

"Elphaba? Are you okay?"

The girl lay on her bed, back to the blonde, tears silently running down her cheeks. She said nothing; her mind wouldn't allow her to. It raced to much, her thoughts bounced and...

"Do you want to talk?"

The girl shrugged the blonde's hand off her shoulder, and after a moment, Glinda got up, going to her desk. Silence settled between the pair, before,

"He thinks this is a game."

Slowly, Glinda turned back to her roommate. "I'm sorry?"

"Yero. He thinks this is a game. He doesn't understand that if we don't make the team, I lose everything. I have to go back to Munchkinland. I can't afford that. If I go back to Munchkinland, I'll never get out. My father won't let me."

"What do you mean he _won't let you_?" Glinda asked, getting up and making her way to the girl's bed. Elphaba glanced over her shoulder at the blonde.

"Do you have both parents, Glinda?"

The question was so out of left field that it caught her off guard. She stammered for several minutes, before nodding. "Um... yes. Don't you?"

"My mom died when I was a baby. My little sister's crippled and..." The girl bit her lip. "Your dad never... hurt you, did he?"

"Hurt me? Why would he hurt-"

But Elphaba shrugged, shifting onto her back. It was then that Glinda saw the tears trailing down her cheeks. "Do your parents love you?"

"Of course they love me. What kind of question is that?"

A soft sob escaped the girl's throat, followed a strangled question that near broke Glinda's heart. " _Do you know how lucky you are?_ "

Before she could stop herself, the blonde had climbed onto the other girl's bed, wrapping around her, holding her close and letting her cry. Suddenly, the argument earlier made all the sense in the world.

* * *

His skates sliced through the ice in quick succession, the satisfying _schlick! schlick!_ helping to calm him down. How dare she quit! Didn't she realize how important this was to him?

 _Don't you realize how important this is to_ her _?_

He stopped.

 _Her bastard father sent her to the Vinkus for a reason, remember? But only_ after _he decided he wanted nothing to do with her. Or have you forgotten the scars on her body? The months of therapy? The fact that she will never be a mother, thanks to him. He's the reason Mom and Dad took her in in the first place. He's the reason her left arm is weaker than her right, the reason she walks with a slight limp that's more prominent on cold days, the reason her nose is slightly crooked, and why the tip of her tongue is split- it's all because of him. He's the reason she needs those sponsors, so badly. If she doesn't have those sponsors, he'll take her back, and if he takes he back before she turns eighteen..._

He swallowed, wrapping his arms around himself.

 _If he takes her back before her eighteenth birthday, he'll never let her go. He'll keep her there until he either dies or he kills her. She won't get to take Nessa away from him, and you'll never get to tell her how much you-_

He shook the thoughts from his head, returning to skating. Though skating wasn't his favorite, it as something to calm his racing brain. Unfortunately, he and Elphaba suffered from the same thing; an overactive mind, that only got more out of control the more anxious or upset they got. It was probably one of the reasons they got along so well- they were mirror images of each other.

 _She's your better half; your cuter half, that's for sure. And you did nothing but piss her off, by telling her it wasn't important, when you know how important this is to her. This is her life you're playing with-_

He tumbled out of his quadruple axel, rolling several times on the ice before coming to a stop. He caught his breath, choking back tears. God, he was so stupid, to think that she shouldn't be concerned with the high possibility of being sent back to her father if she lost her sponsors. And if that happened, the next time he'd see her, would most likely be an obituary in a newspaper.

* * *

"Can you talk to him?"

Elphaba pulled away. She'd spent the last two hours sobbing in her roommate's arms- so much for avoiding each other. But it seemed that the blonde genuinely cared about her, and she couldn't shove away that small kindness, no matter how much she despised the girl. Though she knew nothing of Elphaba's past, she was still willing to listen, something Fiyero, who she'd known for nearly ten years, was refusing to do.

And for that, she owed the blonde some small kindness in return.

After a moment, she stood, brushing the tears off her cheeks. "Do you like ice cream?"

Glinda furrowed a brow in confusion, completely caught off guard. "I don't understand."

The young woman huffed. "It's a simple question. _Do you_ , or do you _not_ , like ice cream?"

"Oh." The blonde thought a moment. "Of course I like ice cream. Why are you asking?"

"Because buying you ice cream is the least I can do for... dealing with my... meltdown." Elphaba replied, glancing at her feet. One long strand of black hair tumbled in front of her face.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary-"

"I want to. I just... I know I haven't been the most... the easiest person to room with." The girls settled in silence before Glinda stood, holding out a hand. "What's that?"

"Truce?" The blonde offered, and after a moment, Elphaba shook, nodding.

"Truce."


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

"You never did answer my question."

"What question?"

"Can you talk to him?"

Four days had passed since Glinda had walked in on the argument, and Fiyero and Elphaba had spent three of those days avoiding each other as much as they could. Now, Elphaba found herself being stalked by her petite blonde roommate as she made her way across campus towards Shiz's ice rink. "Why would I do that?"

"To make up. It's obvious you care about each other-"

"You don't get it, do you?" She stopped, turning to the blonde. "There's no talking to Yero. Not when he gets like this. He's like a... Vinkun brick wall. He's the most stubborn son of a bitch I've ever met, and that's saying something, considering I'm just as stubborn is he is. Yero hates losing a fight; he won't back down, even if it kills him in the end." She ducked under a low-hanging tree branch, essentially ending the conversation, but Glinda followed.

"Can't you two work through-" But she stopped when she realized Elphaba had managed to disappear. "Elphaba? Hello? Elphaba?" After several minutes, she hurried across the green, towards the nearest building, slipping inside. As it got colder, she realized that she was in some kind of freezer.

And then the sound of blades cutting ice caused her pause.

No, not a freezer, an _ice rink_.

* * *

The sound of music helped guide her, until she slipped through the tunnel, coming out to face a good-sized ice rink that clearly not many people knew about, since there was no one here.

Well, almost no one. Two people, to be exact. Three if she counted herself.

It was then that she saw her roommate, gliding across the ice on razor-thin blades, performing jumps and twists and turns with the ease of a ballerina. Glinda's mouth dropped, and she watched as Elphaba somehow managed to throw herself into the air, turn three times, and land on one skate with perfect precision. Just as she was about to speak up, another person entered the rink from another entrance point, and she ducked down, not wanting to be seen. The person dropped their bag on a nearby bench, and then proceeded to put their own pair of skates on, before moving to step onto the ice.

It was then that Glinda realized it was Fiyero. She watched in silence as he glided over to Elphaba, stopping just inches from her. Their gazes locked, and after a moment, they skated apart before coming back together. He grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His hands slid down her small hips, and she reached up, sliding a hand around the back of his neck, her gaze moving up to meet his. "God, Fabala, do you have to be so stubborn?"

She spun away from him, taking off, causing him to follow with an aggravated groan. Glinda watched, as they skated, the choreography coming easy to them, as though they'd performed it before. It was a game, a constant push and pull, teasing with touches or looks that showed just enough of the desire simmering beneath the surface. She leaned against the rim of the barrier, watching with wide eyes as a new side of her roommate appeared- not that Glinda had seen much of her roommate over the last several weeks- but still.

Elphaba was... wild, almost, on the ice. She seemed carefree and relaxed, enjoying herself and what she was doing. For the first time since they'd been assigned as roommates, the smile Elphaba wore was genuine; there wasn't a hint of force behind it. She trusted her skates and, more importantly, she trusted Fiyero- if the lifts they were performing were any indication. At one point, he lifted her and threw her, sending her spinning into the air above him, only to catch her moments later without missing a beat. Her jumps were precise and on point, the lifts were flawless, and she appeared to be putting her very life into his hands- literally.

 _How could these two possibly hate each other like they do? Their chemistry is... ugh, there's no right word for it! It's... it's nothing short of amazing. I mean... he's literally throwing her into the air and catching her without hesitation! If they truly hated each other, they wouldn't be doing things like that! Right?_

He pulled her back to him, sliding his hands around her waist as her own slid down his hips, to caress the back of his thighs. He slid his own down over her hips, pulling her closer. "You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met." The throaty, lustful chuckle that escaped her vocal chords sent his heart racing. How the hell had he spent ten years sharing a dorm with her at St. Prowd's and _not_ claimed her as his?

"Look who's talking." She pulled away, turning to face him as she skated away. It was no longer an argument, but a game. She was teasing him, giving him just enough to crave more, and then taking it away, so that she left him with a longing that would eventually destroy him if he didn't either get a handle on it or give in. Their little game of cat-and-mouse was only intensified by the choreography and the music, as it pounded through the ice, moving through their skates and up their bodies, plucking every nerve until they were as taught as a fine-tuned piano.

Eventually, one of them would snap, and lose complete control. And neither of them could allow that to happen. They couldn't get involved, not romantically, not yet, not until the team for the Winter Games was announced. They couldn't allow this chance to be put into jeopardy because of some misguided teenage lust. But even so, that didn't stop him from catching her as she came down from her lift, and capturing her mouth in his.

Glinda squeaked softly, horrified at such an intimate moment she was spying on, and quickly slipped away, unaware that, despite the kiss, they'd seen her leave, and had known she'd come in, from the moment Fiyero joined Elphaba on the ice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

He drank her in deeply, holding her closer, sliding a hand down her side to slide beneath her thigh, tugging her closer until her leg was wrapped around his waist.

"We need to practice..."

"Later."

She shook her head, pulling away. "Tournament... three weeks..."

"We'll practice _later_ , Fabala."

"But Yero-"

"Stop thinking. I can see the wheels in your head; they match mine. We need to get them both to stop otherwise we'll never be able to play. And you know it."

He pulled her closer, reaching up to slide a hand underneath her light jacket, slipping beneath her shirt to caress her skin. She pulled away, meeting his gaze. A moment passed, before she grabbed the bottom of his jacket, tugging it over his head. It landed on the ice beside them, and then she moved away, reaching down to remove her own jacket and toss it to join his. She then removed her t-shirt, tossing it away and leaving herself in only a sports bra. She returned, pulling his tank over his head, exposing his chest, and the diamonds she could see patterned on his shoulder.

Only she and his parents knew the meaning behind the small cluster of diamonds and what they truly stood for. Most assumed it was some sort of Vinkun right of passage- but such practices had been outlawed back in the nineteen-twenties.

He pulled her close, sliding his hands down her waist. Their lips met again, and after a moment, he scooped her up, laying her gently on the articles of clothing at their feet. Their skates quickly came undone and off, and they allowed themselves to give in to the desire that had been simmering beneath the surface for ten years...

"Make love to me."

"On the ice?"

She nodded. "It's more home to us than a bedroom-"

He kissed her then, tugging her close; hands slid over skin, teeth tugged at lips, desire bubbled and grew, boiling to a roar that soon overtook them. Neither did anything to stop it; though they knew it was wrong, that they should wait until the team for the Games was announced, they couldn't help themselves. They didn't _want_ to help themselves. Not at that moment.

 _All my life, I've been dreaming of you..._

And she knew it was true; her entire life had centered around this man, this partner of hers, and she'd never even realized it. He'd been such a constant in her young life, that she'd spent years taking advantage of him just being there, that he had no feelings for her, not like she had for him, that he never could. Clearly, she was wrong. His feelings for her ran just as deep as her feelings for him.

She called out for him, digging her nails into the smooth skin of his back as he pushed into her. He hissed as her nails dug deeper, leaving deep, red scratches across his tan skin. But if this was the reaction he got for bringing her to life, then so be it. He'd take her a thousand times the same way if he got the same reaction from her. This beautiful, marvelous reaction...

* * *

He pulled his jacket on, watching her silently tie her skates back up. "Fabala, don't look at me like that. Please."

She met his gaze, and it was evident the regret sparking in her dark eyes. "We both wanted it." She whispered, climbing to her feet. "We've wanted it for years. We just never let it get in the way until now." She then skated towards the exit of the ice, and he followed, catching her arm gently.

"Fabala," She turned back, waiting. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to get so out of control-"

"It's fine, Yero. Besides, look on the bright side, thanks to my father, I can't get pregnant, so we won't have to worry about that. Let's just focus on the tournament we have coming up, okay?" She pulled away, going to a bench and removing her skates.

He followed, kneeling down beside her. "Are you upset with me?"

She met his gaze. "No. I just..." She sighed, glancing down at her skates. "I just wish this had been my first time instead of-" She stopped, and Fiyero knew she was thinking of the hell she'd lived in before she'd come to the Vinkus. The hell her little sister was now locked in. The hell she was so desperate to never return to.

"Fabala, I'm so sorry." He wrapped her in his arms, and she allowed it, sniffling softly. He pressed a firm kiss to her head, pulling away to meet her gaze. "We'll think of something, Fabala. I won't let you go back to that Hellhole."

"I _need_ those sponsors, Yero. I _need_ that money so I can put some aside to help get my sister out. I can't leave her there. He'll do to her what he did to me. I was his favorite daughter once _too_." Tears glistened in her eyes, and he brushed them away. "I know _what_ that entails."

He pulled her close. "We'll figure out something, Fabala. Whether its more sponsors or my tournaments or _something_ , either way, we'll figure it out. Together. I promise."

* * *

Glinda looked up from her essay as the door opened and Elphaba slipped inside, making a beeline for her bed and tossing her duffel onto it. "How did... whatever you were doing go?"

"Don't lie to me. And don't pretend like you _weren't_ watching us. We both knew you were there, we just didn't say anything."

Glinda paled. "I... I'm sorry, Elphaba..."

The girl stopped rummaging through her duffel, turning to the blonde. "Don't. I'm so _sick_ of 'I'm sorry's' I could puke. That's all I've been hearing for the last ten years is 'I'm so sorry you've gone through that', 'I'm sorry you're home life isn't as good as it should be', 'I'm so sorry you've been a victim of sexual and physical abuse, but there's nothing we can really do for you other than send you back to your abuser'-" She stopped, realizing she'd said too much.

"Sexual abuse? Elphie, what's going on?"

The sudden, unintended nickname sent Elphaba's back rail straight, and she zipped up her duffel, throwing it over her shoulder. "I have a paper to finish, I'll be in the library." And without a glance back, she dashed out of the dorm.

"But the library's... closed."


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

Glinda didn't see Elphaba until noon the next day, when she caught her traipsing across the green, that familiar duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She hadn't been to class, which was unusual for the green girl. But, now that she thought about, neither had Fiyero.

"Where does she go every day? it's always at the same time, too. And that Fiyero, he always disappears about the same time also." Milla stated, sipping her coffee.

"They don't have any afternoon classes." Glinda replied, and the other three turned to her.

"How would you know?" ShenShen asked, and Glinda fell silent. A moment passed, before the brunette got a gleam in her eye that Glinda knew meant no good. "I know. Let's follow the frog and see where she goes."

The other two nodded in agreement. "Coming Glinda?" A moment of indecision, before the blonde stood, grabbing her book bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Maybe she heads out to the woods to dance naked and cast spells. Like some sort of wicked witch!" Pfhanne suggested as the four girls quietly followed the green girl.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" ShenShen asked, once they'd entered the building that housed the ice rink. The pounding of music and familiar _schlick!_ of blades on ice had Glinda taking the lead. It took them a few minutes, but when they finally entered the rink area, they stopped, surprised to see the green girl doing jumps and tricks in air, always landing on one slender blade. Once the music stopped, Fiyero slid towards her, tossing her a pair of black shoes.

"Ready to practice? We do have a tournament coming up in two weeks." She rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the ice and undoing her skates, pulling her sliders on climbing to her feet. At the other end of the ice ink, there was a Roaring sheet, with a peculiar looking bulls eye in the center. Two hacks sat at one end, and two strange looking brooms rested against the wall, one of which Fiyero tossed to Elphaba.

"So how do you want to do this? It's not like we have another team to practice with." She said, oblivious to the four spectators taking seats in the stands.

"One on one?" She raised an eyebrow. "Give us a chance to practice our shots?"

"Or," She suggested, thinking. "We could designate ten for one team and ten for another." She glanced at the stones with the red handles. "Make those the 'opposing team' and the yellow will be ours."

"You're the Skip, Fabala, it's your call." He replied, setting his broom down.

"What is this?" Milla asked, and Glinda shrugged.

"Morrible did say they were Ozlympians." She replied.

Elphaba, who'd deliberately led the girls to the rink, knowing they wouldn't be able to stand not knowing where she was going, rolled her eyes. "Quiet from the peanut gallery!" Fiyero turned, glancing over his shoulder. "My roommate and her gossipy friends followed me." He shook his head, grabbing one of the red stones.

"I thought she was leaving you alone."

"So did I." She replied, sliding over to the other end of the board.

* * *

The girls watched in silence for two hours as the pair worked on throwing stones, before ShenShen and Pfhanne decided that it was too boring and left. Milla and Glinda, however, stayed, fascinated by the game. The pair noticed, but didn't say anything, as long as they were quiet, they didn't care.

"You've got the hammer, Fabala." She nodded, grabbing the last stone and setting up to push off. Fiyero stood at the other end of the board, his broom resting between two stones- a yellow and a red- indicating that would be the perfect area to knock the red one out of the house, if the chance was taken. He then moved out of the way, returning towards her, as she pushed off and released the stone.

Glinda watched in surprise as the stone seemed to sail forward of its own accord-

Without a word, Fiyero rushed to sweep- "Hurry hard, Yero!"- and Glinda and Milla watched as eventually, the stone managed to knock the red stone out of the house, as Fiyero had thought.

* * *

Eventually, Milla had left, leaving only Glinda to watch her roommate and her partner practice for the next six hours. Eventually, when the pair realized that they'd exhausted all possible plays, they gathered their things, slipping off the ice to find the blonde still there. "I'd have thought you'd have gone back to the dorm." Elphaba said, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a sip. The blonde shrugged.

"What you do is interesting. What is it, exactly?"

The pair shared a surprised glance. "How have you _never_ heard of Roaring?" Fiyero asked, as the trio left the rink.

She shrugged. "I've never been into sports."

"Let's go get dinner, and we'll explain it. It's gonna take a while."

The three slipped into the cafeteria twenty minutes later; Glinda watched as the two set their duffels down at a table and made their way in search of something to eat. She set her bag with theirs, and followed, hearing the whispers of the other students. She stopped as Elphaba leaned down, studying a sandwich. With a wrinkle of her nose, she sidled up to Fiyero, who'd decided on a salad.

"Must you put those disgusting pine nuts on everything you eat? It's almost like you do it on purpose." He chuckled, tapping her lightly on the nose with a carrot stick.

"At least I don't drown everything in Gillikinese vinegar." He replied as she grabbed her own bowl and began fixing a salad. After a moment, Glinda joined them, keeping quiet. She watched Elphaba flick open the glass canister of the vinegar in question and breathe. "I happen to like it, thank you very much. Besides, it's not like I'm offering you any." Glinda took the canister from her, after watching the girl drown her salad in the dark blue vinegar.

Once they paid, they returned to their seats, and Glinda finally spoke up. "So... what is Roaring exactly?"

And so Fiyero and Elphaba spent the next two hours explaining the ins and outs of the game, the rules and regulations, and what it would mean for a Vinkun team- especially one as young as theirs- to attend the Winter Games in the City.

"So is it just you two or do you work on a team?"

"We play on a team." Elphaba said, in between bites of lettuce as Fiyero took a sip of his tea.

"So, if the team is going to the Games-"

"But we're specifically playing as Mixed Doubles- male and female." She clarified, taking another bite.

"Just because we'll go as a team, doesn't mean we won't try to also go as a Mixed Doubles for the Vinkus." Fiyero added. "And that's... almost as important, if not more than going as a full Roaring team." He glanced at Elphaba, who grinned, mid-bite. "The team as a whole has strength together, but the strongest players are determined by the doubles. Only one Vinkun team can represent Mixed Doubles and _that_ section of the team, and it has to be us."

"So there are other women that play?"

"But they don't play Doubles." Elphaba replied.

"If we go, we'll go as members of the team, but we also want to go to represent the Doubles, because we believe we're the strongest pair out there. We've won more tournaments than any other Doubles in the Vinkus has." Fiyero added. Glinda glanced between the two, something nagging at her.

"How did you two meet? You're from Munchkinland and your're from the Vinkus. That's not normal-"

"My father sent me to the Vinkus because he didn't want to deal with me. He told me I was an unruly child, a problem, and that the best place for me would be a Vinkun orphanage."

"That's horrible." Elphaba shrugged.

"I never made it to the orphanage."

"Turns out, my parents had heard what the Governor was going to do, and offered to take her in. We were both seven going on eight." Fiyero met Elphaba's gaze. "Roaring is a common game played in the Vinkus. I've been playing it since I was a kid. I taught Elphaba how to play." She rolled her eyes, taking another bite of her salad, before reaching over and forking a piece of his salmon.

"So... what is St. Prowd's? Because you've mentioned it-"

"It's the most prestigious athletic school in the Vinkus." Fiyero said. "Those who seemed to have any sort of talent in athletics are granted entrance into St. Prowd's."

"So it's like a performing arts school?"

"In the sense that you live and learn your craft? Yes." Elphaba replied, grabbing her tea.

"And you... roomed together? Isn't that inappropriate?"

"See, Glinda, the thing about St. Prowd's, is you're there to focus on your craft, not on the opposite sex. We're trained to be the best, in whatever sport we choose."

"And you chose... Roaring?"

"Roaring and Figure Skating. We do both, but our strength is Roaring."

"And this tournament is-"

"Mixed Doubles Nationals. If we win this, we're one of four Vinkun teams that gets to try for Qualifications for the Winter Games."


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

Two weeks later, Glinda came back from class to find Elphaba throwing clothes into her duffel. Though the girls were far from close friends, they did actually enjoy each others' company, so if the blonde were to make a guess, they were on the way to _being_ friends. "Um... Elphie?"

Though Elphaba didn't particularly care for the nickname, she tolerated it, like she tolerated the blonde. The girl didn't hear her. After a moment, she moved towards the girl, tapping her on the shoulder, and Elphaba removed her headphones, turning to her. "Sorry, um... what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Glinda?"

"Packing?"

"Exactly. Yero and I have that tournament in two days, remember? We have to catch a train back to the Vinkus this evening, so you'll have the room to yourself for the weekend."

"Oh." Silence fell, and Elphaba slipped her headphones back in, returning to her packing. Once done, she grabbed her a jacket and tossed it over her shoulder, heading for the door. "Elphie!" The green girl stopped, turning back to her roommate, who stood in the doorway. She removed a headphone, waiting. "Can... can I watch it... somewhere?"

"The tournament?" Glinda nodded. "Yeah. Sports channel at seven pm Shiz time on Sunday. Technically, the tournament is two days, but if you want to skip all that-"

"So it starts... Saturday?" It was Elphaba's turn to nod. "Okay. I'll watch it."

* * *

The majestic, historical beauty of St. Prowd's loomed over them and Elphaba sighed. Those participating in the tournament were expected to stay at St. Prowd's for the weekend; the current students were sent home, therefore given time off to watch the match. With its old, brick walls and spiraling towers, St. Prowd's possessed more of an ancient castle vibe than an athletic school one.

"Feels good to be home, doesn't it?" Yero asked, joining her. She grinned.

"You have no idea. Come on."

Once everyone was settled- Fiyero and Elphaba in the room they'd shared for ten years- the athletes, from all different walks of life, gathered for a late lunch. Elphaba and Fiyero knew many of them; they were good friends with several other Roaring players, regardless of age or home country.

"Yero! Fabala!"

The pair looked up as Avaric Tenmeadows weaved his way through the crowd; Avaric, born in Gillikin, was the Skip for the all-male Gillikinese Roaring team. Two years older than the pair, he'd managed to make a career out of Roaring from an early age, and was one of the top players in Oz. "Avaric! Good to see you again!" Fiyero gave him a quick hug before allowing Elphaba to do the same.

"Come on, I've got a couple spots saved." The Gillikinese led the pair through the throng of people, to three seats a table filled with other players the pair had either played or against. "So, you guys ready for this? This is the big one; win Nationals, and we get to try for Qualifications."

"Should be easy." A young sweeper named Crope called from the other end of the table. "Everyone will be so distracted by the Munchkinland teams' pants they'll forget how to play." A wave of laughter came up from everyone at the table except for a young Skip named Boq, of Munchkin decent.

"Ha, ha, very funny." He replied, though he knew it was true. The Munchkinland teams were known in the Roaring world more for their bright, lollipop-checker-colored pants than their playing. Jokes from the other teams at the Munchkins' expense was all in good fun, and everyone knew it.

"Someone better call in the Lollipop Guild! We've found they're missing pants!" Tibbett, a sweeper on Crope's team- the Emerald City, to be exact- called out, and even Boq couldn't help cracking a smile.

Elphaba bit into her fish, letting the laughter and conversation surround her. _This_ was what she loved about Roaring- the camaraderie, the excitement of a tournament hours before it actually began, the fact that players from all over Oz could come together and forget their differences- be it country, skin or upbringing- and simply play a game. She had more friends from the Roaring world than she did anywhere else. No one noticed her skin, or the scars on her body, no one noticed the emotional and mental damage she suffered. They noticed her playing, and that was all that mattered.

"So, Yero, I hear you two went to _Shiz University_." Crope said, taking a sip of his soda. Yero glanced at Elphaba, before nodding and pushing his salad aside. "How is it?"

" _So boring_." Elphaba injected. "I'd rather spend all my time on the ice than sit in class listening to professors drone on about subjects nobody gives a damn about. I'd get more out of studying the ice we play on than studying in a classroom."

"Or studying _each other._ " A young player named Manek joked, and the pair shared a glance. "Please tell me you've _finally_ hit that pretty thing sitting beside you, Yero, because if _you_ haven't, _I_ will." He winked at Elphaba and she rolled her eyes, knowing it was all in good fun.

It was well known in the Roaring world that Fiyero and Elphaba were one of the strongest Mixed Double teams to ever play. They had an uncanny ability to read each other's thoughts, even from one-hundred-fifty feet away, and their plays were rarely off mark. The strength they shared in playing Doubles only made the overall team stronger, and many of the players conceded to Elphaba, who, as the Skip, was the strongest player, the one who usually threw the last two stones, the one who's last throws were usually the ones that won them matches. As one of the youngest players on the team, there was a healthy amount of respect for the young woman.

"Don't even _think_ about it, Manek." Fiyero replied, sliding an arm around Elphaba's waist and tugging her closer to laughter and whistles. He kissed her softly, and Avaric rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you two just up and get married already? Saves Fabala the trouble of having to back to that despicable man, and your sponsorships would double- especially since you're the number one contenders to most likely go to the Games."

Elphaba laughed. "Us? Get married? I mean, not a bad idea, but..."

"But what?"

She shrugged, glancing at Fiyero. "Just... no."

"But why? Don't you two love each other?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

 _Don't you two love each other?_

Manek's words rang loud in her head hours later, as she lay in the bed across from Fiyero's. He was sound asleep, but she couldn't seem to get her brain to turn off.

 _Of course_ they loved each other, how could someone even _ask_ that question? They'd been together from the time they were eight- okay, technically seven- but still, they'd roomed together for years. They were more like brother and sister than-

She stopped, remembering every kiss, every caress, every heated look shared over the years, every unspoken desire that had bounced between them during practice in the last ten years. The stolen kisses, the whispered promises and gentle touches... all culminating in that night on the ice at the rink back at Shiz.

The night they'd finally consummated their relationship, after ten years of smoldering looks and heated touches.

Sighing in annoyance, she climbed out of bed, going to the desk and pulling out her notebook, flipping to a page. On the nights when she couldn't sleep, she spent the hours writing out song lyrics that she thought up. Fiyero's mother, Sarima, had made sure to cultivate a love of music in both her son and the young Munchkinland girl she and her husband had taken in.

Next to family and Roaring, music was just as important.

She glanced at Fiyero. Could they really run off and get married, like Manek suggested? Sure, that would solve her problem, but there was still the matter of her sister, his parents, their careers and the sponsorships, not the mention the Games themselves. Did the Games even allow married couples to participate?

 _What a stupid question, of course they do. Iskinaary and Nikidik were married and they competed for years. Not to mention the Figure Skaters, the long-distance runners..._

She ran through a list in her head of married couples who had taken part in the Games- both Summer and Winter. So why should it be any different if she and Yero got married?

 _We'd be the youngest couple on the team- not just the Roaring team, but on the Vinkun team in general. Could we really-_

"Fabala?" Fiyero pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What are you doing up? You should be in bed, we have competition tomorrow."

She set her notebook aside, making her way to his side of the room and climbing beneath the covers. "I couldn't sleep. Nerves."

"I'm sorry." She snuggled into his chest, settling against him as his arms slide around her waist, tucking her head beneath his chin.

"Hey Yero?"

"Hmm?"

She reached up, curling her fingers around one of the buttons on his pajama top. "Could we... do you think... would you marry me?"

His blue eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I just... Manek suggested something at dinner tonight-"

"I know, I was there."

"So... what do you think? It would solve a small majority of our problems-" She stopped when he rested a finger to her lips.

"Get some sleep, Fabala, we'll talk about it in the morning."

* * *

Avaric looked up, searching for his friends, but he saw no flash of green skin or black hair. "Where are they? The tournament starts in ten minutes-"

Suddenly, the doors opened, and the pair in question entered, hands linked, dressed in the dark blue pants and blue and gold shirts of the Vinkun Roaring team, their sliders on. Elphaba's hair was pulled back in a high, smooth ponytail, and she wore a touch of makeup, making her already pretty features even more striking. She smiled at the others as she passed by. "Morning boys. Ready to play?"

"Dude, what's going on?" Avaric asked, stopping Fiyero as he moved to join Elphaba, but the young prince waved it away. "You got here in just the nick of time."

"Don't worry about it, Av. It's not like we were out eloping or anything." And without another word, he moved past to join Elphaba and the rest of his teammates, leaving Avaric stunned.

* * *

Glinda slipped into the common room on their floor of Crage, turning on the TV. Elphaba had told her that the Roaring matches started this morning. She settled on the sofa, several bags of cookies and a cup of coffee in her hands. "What are you doing?" Milla came out of her room, upon hearing the noise of the TV.

"Watching Roaring. Want to join?"

"This the game that Elphaba and Fiyero were working on at the ice rink?" The blonde nodded. "Ah, what the hell, I have nothing better to do today." And so the two girls sat back, watching as the various teams took their places. Two hours into the tournament, the Vinkuns were announced to be playing against Munchkinland.

"Look, look! There's Elphaba and Fiyero!"

The camera zoomed in on the Vinkun team, to Fiyero and Elphaba talking about something on the other side of the ice.

 _"... two youngest members on Vinkun Roaring team, Elphaba Thropp and Fiyero Tigelaar, both only seventeen years of age. You know, I heard Elphaba was born in Munchkinland, but moved to the Vinkus when she as about eight. She grew up playing Roaring and is the youngest Skip in Vinkun Roaring history."_

 _"... she's certainly proven her worth on this team, that's for sure."_

The two girls watched as Elphaba set up to throw, dusting the bottom of the rock off before setting it back down. One of her teammates stood on the other end of the rink, making an indication, and after a moment, she nodded, pushing off from the hack. The stone slid from her hand, and she watched as her teammates moved to quickly sweep the ice before it clean. _"Off! Off! Yero, off! Never!"_

The four others backed away, allowing the stone to curl as it made its way down the rink. Just as it began to curl too far, Fiyero slid over with another teammate to sweep it back towards the button. Several seconds passed, before the rock hit the one closest to the button, knocking it out of the play.

 _"That's the thing about Elphaba Thropp, she's got a very high distinction in this team- she always throws out the first stone and the last two stones for her team during any match."_

"What is this again?"

"I think this is a Mixed Team? Cause Elphaba said there are men's teams, and women's teams, and Mixed Doubles, which is what she and Fiyero do, and then I think she said something about a mixed team, two men and two women, but I could be wrong."

They settled back into silence, watching as the match continued on. "Do you like her? Elphaba?" Gilnda met Milla's gaze, and thought a moment.

"She's nice. Different. Not just her skin color."

"She seems really... reserved."

"I think she had a lot of bad stuff happen to her in her childhood, which is why she's the way she is." Glinda replied, thinking back on that night when Elphaba and Fiyero had fought, and she'd asked her if her dad loved her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

Mixed Doubles were up next.

A break had been called so the ice could be cleared and pebbled again; the Vinkun team- the Mixed anyway- had advanced to the finals, beating out several other Vinkun teams in the process. The mens' and womens' teams had competed earlier, and of course, qualified, which only left the Mixed Doubles to compete. Elphaba leaned against the far wall, hiding within the curve of it, her water bottle in her grasp. She reached up, tangling her fingers in the necklace Yero had given her.

It was best he could do on such short notice, but she didn't care. It was less obvious than a ring, and she could keep it close to her heart. "Hey, you ready, love?"

She swallowed her mouthful, closing her water bottle and pulling him closer. "Are you?"

"With you by my side? We can't lose." He kissed her quickly, before pulling away and taking her hand. They grabbed their things and took their places, noticing the glances other players were throwing their way, the whispers behind hands.

"Yero? What's going on?" He looked around, unsure.

"I have no idea, Fabala." As they took their positions at the head of the rink, they were completely unaware of the news that the sports anchor had just been handed.

 _"And now we come back Mixed Doubles Roaring... hold on, I hear congratulations are in order."_

 _"How so?"_

 _"Well, I have news here that a certain young couple from the Vinkun Roaring team just got married, early this morning before the tournament."_

* * *

Glinda choked on her coffee; the small party of two had quickly turned into all the girls in Crage. Shocked gasps and cries of surprise quickly filled the air; though many of them avoided Elphaba because it was what she wanted, they had all come to respect the young green-skinned woman, in some way, shape or form. _"What?"_

They watched on the screen as Fiyero and Elphaba, clearly confused by the looks, but having no real idea of what was being talked about, conversed softly in Vinkun. A moment passed, before she tossed her ponytail off her shoulder and unzipped the jacket slightly, revealing a chain. She nodded towards the rink, and nodded, gesturing quickly, before she slid down the rink to the house.

She studied it for a few minutes, before positioning herself just behind the button, holding the edge of her broom directly in front of her. Fiyero nodded, moving to get ready to throw, as Elphaba returned to him. She laid a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at her. She leaned down, saying something quickly, pointing to where Boq stood at the other end, gesturing with her fingers. _A little to the left._ He followed her gaze, and after a couple minutes, nodded.

 _"You're kidding!"_

 _"Nope, I'm looking at the report here. Fiyero Tigelaar and Elphaba Thropp eloped early this morning before the tournament began, which I'm sure is a shock to many of their teammates and close friends on the other Roaring teams."_

One of the announcers whistled. _"Well congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Tigelaar!"_

 _"Or is it Thropp-Tigelaar? Is she keeping her last name or taking his?"_

"Looks like we'll have to ask the newly married couple after the match. Either way, congratulations are definitely in order."

Glinda met Milla's gaze, too stunned to say anything more. The fact that Elphaba and Fiyero were now married- and it seemed like a hastily done decision, though considering how caught up on each other they were...

 _"Excellent shot by Fiyero Tigelaar!"_

They turned their gazes back to the match, watching as the pair slid down the rink, passing Boq and his partner, Nor. The other woman grabbed Elphaba's arm, whispering something to her, to which Elphaba replied, and the two parted ways, joining their respective partners.

"They're acting like they don't realize they just got married." A girl named Nastoya said, from her place on the floor.

"Probably for the sake of the game. This is a major tournament, after all." Milla said.

* * *

"If we manage to tap back, that should work, cause it'll get theirs out of the way-"

"Giving us an advantage." She finished, and he nodded. She grabbed the stone and positioned to push off. After a couple of seconds, making sure everything was clear, she pushed off, releasing the stone after a moment. Fiyero rushed to sweep, but Elphaba's voice caused him to pause. _"Hold! Hold! Yero, Hold!"_ He held up his hands, watching as the stone continued on its steady pace.

When the stone began to slow, he hurried to sweep, hearing Elphaba's command. _"Hurry! Hurry hard! Hard!"_ Eventually, the stone stopped, perfectly positioned in the center of the button, and cheering could be heard from the crowd. He returned to her, squeezing her quickly, before the pair slid to the other side to if the ice, allowing Nor and Boq to set up.

A couple minutes later, their stone knocked Fiyero and Elphaba's out of the house, and she made a face, kicking the ice.

 _"They do not look happy about that move. You know, it's actually very rare to see this young couple not enjoying themselves out on the ice-"_

"They can still save it though, this is only the fist end. There are nine ends left to go."

The match continued on; at one point, during the sixth end, Fiyero knelt down to study the ice, and he narrowed his gaze. Standing he turned to her. "There's a chance. Look. Their stones are too close; they if we can aim for one of them, it'll knock the other out of place as well." She met his gaze.

"You want to do the honors?"

"You're the Skip, Fabala. It's your throw." She gave him a look, before grabbing the stone and setting up. Without a word, she pushed off, releasing the stone a few minutes later. It sailed steadily down the rink, doing exactly as Fiyero had predicted, knocking out both stones, and putting them ahead of Munchkinland.

* * *

By the time the tenth end rolled around, the girls in Crage had brought pillows and blankets out, fixed popcorn and pooled their snacks together. Despite many of them grumbling about the young, green-skinned woman, they all had to admit that she wasn't as bad as they thought; just quiet, introverted, and driven. They watched with bated breath as the tenth end progressed, silent, biting their perfectly manicured nails, hugging blankets and pillows as though they were life preservers.

"Come on, Fabala, you got this!"

She took a deep breath, and after a moment, pushed away from the hack, releasing the stone. _"Hold! Yero, hold!"_ He followed it, but didn't put his broom down; Elphaba stood, hands on her small hips, as she watched the rock sail into the house, knocking the last yellow stone from the button, thereby-

 _"And they've done it! The Tigelaars have won the match! Not only have they won Nationals, but they are one of only four Mixed Double teams to attend Qualifications for the Winter Games-"_ Cheers could be heard in the audience, and the girls in Crage couldn't help cheering their classmates on. Glinda watched as Fiyero returned to Elphaba, scooping her up in his arms, spinning her around.

 _"Well, they're both certainly happy about that fact!"_

 _"I'd say they have a lot to be happy about today-"_

Fiyero finally set her down, taking her face in his hands and meeting her gaze for a moment, before he leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep kiss- in front of the audience, the cameras, the others in the Roaring community, and that stunned their classmates back at Crage.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

"We gotta stack the brooms."

"Why?" Elphaba asked Avaric, as she and Fiyero left the rink after their victory. His arm was slung over her shoulders, and she hand a hold of his hand.

"To celebrate."

"So we won Mixed Doubles, Av. It's not that big a deal."

"I don't just mean that, Fabala." He replied. "I mean your marriage!"

The pair fell silent, sharing a glance. They hadn't expected to let it slip- in fact, they weren't even sure _how_ it had gotten out. Fiyero had made one comment to Avaric, but the young man had completely forgotten it by the time the tournament started. Besides, Avaric wasn't the type to spill a secret, so it definitely wasn't him. And it wasn't any of the others in the Roaring community, for they'd been just as stunned as Avaric. In fact, the only reason Elphaba and Fiyero knew their secret had gotten out at all, is because Nor had stopped Elphaba during the match and told her, like the friend she was.

"Don't tell me you're not-"

"No, no, we are." Fiyero replied. "We're just trying to figure out who told."

Elphaba removed the necklace she wore beneath her jacket. "A Vinkun marriage knot. Yero saw it in a little shop we passed by after stopping by the courthouse, and bought it for me. He's upset it isn't a ring, but I could care less if it goes around my neck or on my finger." She leaned up, stealing a quick kiss.

Avaric chuckled. "So come on, what do you two say? Have a _little_ fun?" The pair shared a glance, before nodding.

* * *

For the athletes, a little fun meant the Philosophy Club, the oldest, most popular dance club and bar in the capital city of the Vinkus.

It wasn't uncommon for teams to 'stack the brooms' after a match- or rather, have drinks with the very people they were competing against. Despite the team and country they represented, they were still human, still capable of companionship and friendship. In fact, some of the strongest friendships centered around Roaring, and could be traced back years.

The pair slid into a both, accepting the drinks the waiter brought over. In the Vinkus, the legal age to drink was seventeen; the legal age of consent sixeen. Since both Fiyero and Elphaba were seventeen, they were above the legal age of consent, and their elopement wouldn't be questioned- except by those who really mattered or were deeply curious.

"To the happy couple! Congrats, on finding that one person willing to put up with your stubborn ass for the rest of their life! May you _not_ kill each other!" The pair raised their glasses with laughter and smiles at Avaric's toast, before clinking. Irji, one of Elphaba and Fiyero's teammates, waved it away, holding up his hand.

"And to the Vinkun team, finally making the Winter Games! Now all we need is our Mixed Doubles pair, and we'll be all set to kick some ass in the Emerald City in two years!"

"Here, here!" Elphaba called, raising her glass; the players clinked glasses before sipping their drinks.

"So what exactly made you decide-"

"Manek!" Elphaba cut Irji off. "He asked me if we loved each other, and it got me thinking. We talked it over last night and decided that would probably be the best thing for us." The older player nodded. Avaric was only a couple years older than both of them, but he often turned to the teenagers for advice. They were both a lot wiser than their seventeen years screamed, and he respected that about them. "We do love each other; so why beat around the bush anymore? We were determined to spend the rest of our lives together anyway, so... why not make it official?" She asked, holding up the necklace.

Irji chuckled. "Well, congrats, Fabala. Yero's one lucky son of a bitch to have you. Just make sure he doesn't let you go. He can be stupid at times."

She threw her head back, laughing. "Don't I know it." Her eyes rolled back as Fiyero kissed her neck, and after a moment, she turned, capturing his mouth in hers. "Dance with me."

He stood, tugging her with him. She grinned at the others, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor. He slid his hands down her hips, pulling her closer, until there was barely any space between them. She slid her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

* * *

Fiyero flicked the light on in their room at St. Prowd's, only to stop, causing Elphaba to slam into him from behind. "Yero, what-" They hadn't drunk much; they'd spent more time on the dance floor, but still, the bright light of their room and the sight of their coach surprised them both. "Mulhama, what are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you two, being your coach and all." The older woman replied. "Congratulations on your marriage, by the way."

"How did you-" Fiyero started, suddenly pale.

"My husband works for the courthouse, remember? He called me early this morning, and asked if I knew if you'd snuck off to get married. I don't fault you, or blame you, but I hope you two understand what you're doing. Marriage is tough, and you're young, and with your careers-"

"That's kind of why we did it." Fiyero replied, finally able to find his words, as Elphaba slipped into his side. "We figured, that maybe it would be easier to get sponsorships, and Fabala wouldn't be forced to go back to Munchkinland, and we could look at getting her sister out-" Mulhama waved his explanation away.

"Not tonight. You can tell me tomorrow. I just wanted to drop by. Now get some sleep, both of you. Just because you won Nationals, doesn't mean there won't be little team scrimmages tomorrow that you won't want to partake in. I know you two. Now get some sleep, and congratulations."

Once she was gone, Fiyero turned to Elphaba. "Do you think Mulhama-"

"No. _No,_ no _way_. It's Mulhama. She wouldn't-"

"Unless it was in _our_ best interest."


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

They returned to campus in the early hours of Monday morning, as morning classes were starting.

Elphaba sighed, dropping her duffel by her bed before grabbing her notebook and book bag and slipping out of the room. Fiyero pushed himself away from the wall, sliding an arm around her waist as they headed down the stairs. Neither one had classes on Mondays, and instead of going to the rink, they made their way to to the cafeteria.

Thankfully, it was deserted, with classes.

"Morning Cattery."

"Just the usual, Elphaba?" The woman who ran the cafe asked, and the girl nodded. "On the house." She pushed the cup towards the girl, stopping her as she pulled her wallet out.

"You sure?"

"For today, you and Fiyero, don't worry about it. Congrats on winning, and on your marriage."

"How did you-"

"Watched the match in the lounge, saw everything."

"Please don't tell, Cattery." Elphaba begged, as Fiyero joined her, setting down a granola bar and an apple and pulled out his wallet, but Cattery waved it away as she set his usual cup of coffee in front of him.

"You won't hear it from me. But I can't guarantee other students won't already know. Quite a few people watched that match the other night."

Once they bid her goodbye, the two settled at a table by the window. They ate in silence for several minutes, before Fiyero spoke up.

"We just play it cool." She met his gaze. "We reached the Qualifications, and if we can just get through them and onto the team-"

"We're already on the team, for mens and womens'-"

"But for Mixed Doubles, we need to pass Qualifications." He caught her gaze. "Fabala, we're the best Mixed Doubles team the Vinkun Roaring community _has_. We got this."

So engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice classes get out, or the wave of students headed for the cafeteria- many of whom stopped at the windows. It was only when they heard an ear-splitting squeal that they both jumped, their conversation ended. _"Elphie!"_

The pair turned, as the continuous wave of students entered the cafeteria, splitting off to find tables or get food; many, however, stopped by their table to shake hands and wish them congratulations, on both winning the match and their marriage. They took each in turn with smiles and thank yous. Suddenly, a blonde whirlwind in a light blue dress threw her arms around Elphaba. The green girl, unaccustomed to such a hug, jolted back in her seat. Fiyero watched, chuckling softly at his partner's wide eyes and dropped jaw. Eventually, the blonde pulled away.

"Oh, my Oz, Elphie, why didn't you say anything? You could have at least told me! I thought we were becoming friends-"

"We are, I just... it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision." She replied once she'd finally been released. The pair shared a glance, and Glinda furrowed a brow.

"Wait, you didn't want anyone to know?"

"Not for a while, no. Besides, we did this more than just because we love each other. There are other motives besides love, Glinda."

The blonde furrowed an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

Elphaba sighed, picking up her coffee cup. "If I'm married to Yero, I won't have to go back to my father. He has no claim to me anymore. By Munchkin law, if a child marries before they turn eighteen, the parent has no claim to them; they're considered an adult, even if they haven't reached eighteen, which is the legal age in Munchkinland. By marrying Yero, my father has no claim to me anymore, and whatever little tricks he tries won't work, because he would be breaking Munchkin law." She glanced at her husband, who set his cup down and broke off a piece of his granola bar.

"That means," He picked up where Elphaba had left off. "That as an adult, she can legally fight for custody of her sister, and if she wins, she can get Nessa out of there."

"So... she would be a parent?"

"A guardian." Fiyero corrected. "She would have the stability of a marriage, that would prove to the courts that Nessa is being well-taken care of because it's not just her looking over her sister, but me as well."

"So two is better than one."

"Bingo." Elphaba cut in, sipping her coffee.

"How old is your sister?"

"She just turned twelve." Elphaba replied, finishing her coffee. "But it started when she was six, just like it did with me." She stood, tossing her cup in the trash and grabbing her book bag. "I'm gonna go get my duffel, spend some time on the ice. You coming, Yero?" A moment passed, before he stood. "Have fun in class, Glinda."

* * *

"So Worlds is in two weeks, and then Qualifications are two weeks after that."

"Yep." Elphaba finished tying her skate, and then stood, moving to join him on the rink.

"Take a couple days to ourselves and then focus on Worlds?" She nodded. Though they'd won Regionals- called Nationals in some parts of Oz- that still left Worlds- and Worlds was when the best of the best were chosen. Worlds would give the four Mixed Doubles teams a place to shine; one team would be knocked out, leaving three to compete at Qualifications. Only _two_ teams of the remaining three would be chosen at Qualifications, and if they didn't get chosen, their careers were basically over. Technically, all four teams would be allowed at Qualifications- only there if one team couldn't compete.

Elphaba slipped her phone into the portable speaker and started the music, before taking off. He chased after her, catching her around the waist and tossing her into the air, catching her moments later. Neither heard the doors open and footsteps enter, though the sight of Glinda and several other students gathering around the edge of the rink to watch.

"I didn't know they ice skated."

"Do they play hockey also?"

"They're really good. Like _really_ good."

"How do they do those turns? Isn't it scary to jump like that?"

"Is he going to drop her? I can't look!"

He pulled her closer, sliding his hands down her waist, before lifting her up over his head. He tossed her into the air, catching her as she came down in a death drop, before setting her back on her feet. Seconds later, the pair pulled off a triple Salcow, followed a double axel and a split jump before moving into twizzles.

"I _hate_ twizzles. They're so annoying." Fiyero laughed, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her, sending her into a quadruple which she landed effortlessly. So caught up in the music, the skating and each other, they didn't hear the cheering and applauding, or notice the crowd grow, as the boys from Briscoe and Three Queens came wandering in. Clearly, no one was attending class today.

"Do you trust me?" She met his gaze.

"What are you suggesting, Yero?" She took his hand, allowing him to pull her along.

"Do you trust me, Fabala?"

"Of course I do, but-"

He pulled her closer; they fell into a pair camel spin, before moving into a pair sit spin, facing each other. Once they'd stood and returned to skating, he grabbed her waist. "Do a Mulenkof."

"Yero-"

"You _trust me_ , don't you?" She nodded, as he grabbed her waist, tossing her into the air.

The Mulenkof had been only performed once, by Mulhama and Liir Kolenhof- the very same Mulhama that now coached Elphaba and Fiyero. At one time, the best pairs skaters in all of the Vinkus, if not Oz, they had won a total of twenty medals over a ten year span- until Liir's death from a heart attack at the tender age of twenty-four. Mulhama had then turned to coaching- not just figure skating, but Roaring and ice dancing as well. She'd remarried a county worker, and devoted her life to her skaters and Roarers, so much so that she'd earned the nickname "Mother Maunt", as though she ran a mauntnary. Though she rolled her eyes at the nickname, deep down she was touched that her students cared so deeply about her to give her a nickname in the first place.

The Mulenkof was Liir's legacy- a throw jump, in which the woman was tossed into the air, going into a double-catch-foot where she grabbed the backs of both skates before moving to a split and finishing with a quadruple turn midair, while her partner performed a triple axel, triple toe loop, and finished off with a butterfly spin into a Biellmann before moving into a scratch spin- all before catching his partner as she came down before she hit the ice. The difficulty was immense, the pressure to get it right horrendous, and the injuries from even _attempting_ to perform such a throw career ruining.

Elphaba finally let the breath she'd been holding out when he caught her around the waist, and set her back on the ice. Silence filled the arena, as everyone stared at the pair in shock, before,

 _"Did you see that?"_

 _"I've never seen so many turns in my life!"_

 _"Wasn't she scared?"_

The whispers flew among the students, but all were silenced minutes later. " _What_ the _hell_ was _that_?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

The pair broke apart, turning to see Mulhama standing at the entrance to the ice, hands on her small hips. Her long dark hair was held back with a headband, and she wore the same gear they did, clearly having come from practice with her students. "Mulhama, we- what-"

The older woman waved it away, coming out to them in a pair of sliders.

"What were you two thinking? Trying to pull off a Mulenkof?"

"We didn't _try_ , we succeeded." Fiyero replied, and Elphaba smacked him in the arm.

"What are you doing here, Mulhama?" Elphaba asked, trying to regain some control over the situation.

"I called you both, but when I didn't get any response, I figured I'd come down. I don't just coach at St. Prowd's remember? Half the Munchkinland stars in the skating world today are my students, and Nest Hardings isn't that far from Shiz."

"Yeah, we remember, but _why_ are you here?"

Mulhama circled the pair silent, before, "Your sister got in touch with me, Fabala."

"Nessa?" Elphaba turned to the woman, suddenly concerned. "Is she all right?"

Mulhama met her gaze. "She wants you to come back to Colwen Grounds-"

"I'm _not_ going back there, Mulhama-"

"To come get her." The woman finished.

"What?"

"Your father threw her down the stairs this morning, Fabala. Your former Nanny called me after it happened. That's why I've been trying to reach you."

 _"What?"_ Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Is she okay? Is she hurt? Is-"

"She's at the hospital. The doctors don't think she'll ever be able to walk again."

Silently, Elphaba pushed away from both of them, grabbing onto the edge of the rink when she reached it. She couldn't catch her breath. _Nessie... her precious baby sister... paralyzed... and it was all their father's fault..._ "What hospital?" Silence. " _What hospital?_ "

"Munchkinland Memorial."

Without another word, Elphaba moved towards the entrance to to the rink, and it was then that she saw the other students. She met Glinda's eyes in the crowd, before putting the covers on her stakes and grabbing her things.

* * *

"Nessie!"

The twelve-year-old slowly opened her eyes, turning to see her sister enter the room. Fiyero stopped in the doorway. "Fabala..." She reached for her sister, breathing in the familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla that was so distinctly her older sister. "I saw you win."

"Don't focus on that, Nessie." Elphaba replied, kissing her forehead.

"Did you come to get me?" The teenager nodded, turning to Fiyero and Mulhama, who hung back, giving the sisters time to themselves.

"I did. We're gonna get you out of here, Nessie, I promise. And then you're going to come live with me and Yero and... and we'll never have to worry about him again."

"You and Yero got married." The girl whispered, swallowing. The canola in her nose was more of an annoyance than anything, but her sister's hand in her hair calmed her.

"We did. Because we love each other very much, and because I can claim you as my charge, which means you'll have a stable, safe home and I won't have to go back to that man." She turned to the nurse who'd scampered into the corner. "How bad is the damage? All of it? The damage done to her spine, the sexual abuse, the psychological, the emotional- how bad is it? _How bad_?"

The nurse swallowed, glancing at the child. "Your... your sister will never walk again, she'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Only a psychologist can determine the extent of the psychological and emotional damage, Miss Thropp-"

" _Mrs. Tigelaar._ "

"... Mrs. Tigelaar." She swallowed. "We had to... to perform a full hysterectomy on her, the damage was that extensive. Even if we hadn't, she would never be able to bear children."

 _Like me._ Elphaba thought, turning to her sister. _Though I can still experience pleasure, still feel desire as my husband enters me. Even if Nessie finds a man like Yero... she will never get to experience what I do. But she can still experience love._ She turned back to the nurse. "As soon as my sister is able, I want her released into my custody. I will go to the courts-"

"She has already been to the courts, Mrs. Tigelaar." The nurse replied. "As soon as the incident happened, the courts were brought in. Since you're her only surviving relative other than your father-"

"Do not call that.. _. monster_... that!" Elphaba cried.

"Other than _him_ ," She amended. "You were granted temporary custody."

"She's coming back to live with me. Is it all right that she come live in the Vinkus with me?" The nurse nodded, pulling some papers from her clipboard and handing them over.

"As long as Nessa herself does not protest, you could move to the Great Gillikin _Forest_ and it would be all right." Elphaba quickly skimmed through the pages, studying them before turning back to her sister. She wrapped the girl in a hug.

"Will you get the box, Elphaba? Please? It's all we have left of Mama." She nodded, pressing a kiss to her sister's forehead. Even though it meant returning to Colwen Grounds- the last place she ever wanted to be- the small jewelry box held every memory of Melena the sisters had. They couldn't leave it there, with that man.

"Of course, Nessa. I wouldn't leave it there. I would never leave it there."

* * *

"Fabala, are you insane? You're going back to Colwen Grounds for a _box_."

"It's not _just_ a box, Yero. It was our mother's. It's all Nessa and I have left of her." She said, climbing into the car. He slid into the backseat, grumbling as Mulhama started the car. Once they reached Colwen Grounds, Elphaba shot out of the car so fast, Mulhama barely had time to stop. "I'll be right back-"

"Oh, no, we're not getting you go in there alone." The older woman replied, unbuckling her seat belt and climbing out. Fiyero didn't say a word, but followed. The three made their way to the door; a moment passed, before Elphaba turned the handle. Locked. After a moment, she knocked, stepping back into Fiyero's arms. Several minutes passed, before an elderly woman opened the door.

"Nanny." The woman studied her for a moment, before a smile broke out on her face.

"Oh, Fabala!" She embraced the older woman quickly. "What are you doing here? Your father is out-"

"I'm not here to stay, Nanny. I just came to get a few things. You called Mulhama about Nessa-"

The older woman nodded. "She needs to get out of this house, Fabala."

"And she will, Nanny. Yero and I are taking her."

The older woman's brow furrowed. "You can't possibly... unless... the only way you could... oh, Fabala, congratulations!"

"Thanks, Nanny. When does he get back?"

"He left for a meeting in Center Munch five minutes ago. He won't be back for an hour. You know how these things go."

"Good. That gives us time. Not much, but just enough." She squeezed Nanny's hand before making for the stairs. "Come on! Upstairs!" Mulhama, Nanny and Fiyero followed the young green-skinned woman up the stairs to the second floor. "There's a knapsack in Nessa's room. Fill it with as much as you can. I've got a couple suitcases in my room; we'll fill them with as much as possible once her knapsack's full."

Without another word, Elphaba slipped into her room; it had been left exactly as it was when she'd left, all those years ago. Her stuffed animals sat on the bed, her storybooks on the shelf, her clothes in the closet. A moment passed, before she went to her desk, pulling open the second drawer. A small sigh of relief escaped her throat as she saw the jewelry box, carved out of beautifully black Quoxwood, a simple rose carved in the center with a gold clasp to close it. _Mama's jewelry box._

Thinking quickly, she pulled out the three suitcases from beneath her bed, and then grabbed the knapsack that hung over her chair. Wrapping it in a black scarf, she placed it gently in the bottom of the knapsack, before grabbing a few other things- a small China doll figurine her mother had given her when she was a baby, her bright blue diary with the lock and heart-shaped key Nanny had given her for her sixth birthday, a couple of beloved stuffed animals- a stuffed lion she'd named Brr, and a stuffed dog she'd named Toto- as well as some pieces of jewelry and a couple framed photos of her and her mother. Once the knapsack was full, she slung it over her shoulder and then knelt beneath the bed. A moment passed, before she finally found what she was looking for and tugged it out from under the bed; the gigantic book of fairy tales Frex had given her for her tenth birthday. Though he'd given it to her, she had often spent nights reading the stories to Nessa to get to her sleep, and so there were more happy memories associated with it than bad. She put the book in one of the suitcases, and then slid a hand beneath one of the pillows, pulling out a green glass bottle with a rolled up piece of paper in it. "When you're ready, my darling girl, then you can open the bottle and remove the letter, but not before. Not until you're sure you're ready."

She held it to her chest, thinking of Melena, before placing it beside the book with a couple other trinkets and closing the suitcase. Hoisting the three suitcases out of her room, she met Mulhama and Fiyero in the hallway. "What are the other two for?" He asked, confused.

"There are things in this house that are important to me. Things that belonged to my mother that that man doesn't deserve to have." She held out the suitcase with the book and bottle in it, and then removed her knapsack. "Can you take these out to the car, Yero? And please be careful with them." He nodded, taking them from her and doing as told. Mulhama carried a smaller suitcase that had been in Nessa's room under her bed, and Elphaba carried the other two. "Did you get everything out of Nessa's room that was important?"

"Little trinkets, books, diaries, clothing, anything that looked important and some things that might not be."

"Good. We'll sort through it all when we get back to the Vinkus." Elphaba stopped as they entered the living room, setting down the suitcases. Nanny was already pulling down books and things she knew Elphaba had wanted; it was as though she'd been planning for this day. "I've got all your records and important documents in a folder. Birth certificates, security numbers, passports and the like."

"Thank you, Nanny." The older woman nodded, reaching up to caress Elphaba's cheek.

"Now go. There's a couple things of your mother's in the kitchen I know you wanted. Her cookbook is on the counter, as well as her notebooks. Hurry, love." The girl turned to do as told, before she stopped.

"Mulhama, did you grab Mr. Monkey?"

"I didn't see a stuffed monkey." Mulhama replied, helping Nanny put things in the suitcase, making sure the folder was on the bottom.

"That's because it's not a monkey. It's a stuffed bear." Without a word, Elphaba turned, hurrying back up the stairs; Mulhama rushed into the kitchen to get the things on the counter. Once she'd returned to her sister's room, she searched, finding nothing. "Come on, Mr. Monkey, this isn't funny. No more games." She checked every nook and cranny she could think of, before kneeling by the bed and lifting the blankets. In the back corner, she could see Mr. Monkey, staring at her with big, button eyes. "There you are." She crawled under it, finally wrapping her fingers around the stuffed animal-

A hand on her leg made her jump and she crawled out from under the bed. _Oh, no, Frex-_

"You ready? Mulhama's waiting downstairs."

She nodded, grabbing her chest as she stood. "God, Yero, don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack." He pulled her to a feet with a quick grin. Once she had Mr. Monkey securely in her grasp, they left the room, hurrying down the hallway, when she stopped. "Wait!" The only photo of her, her mother and sister- so she'd fudged the truth a little; she'd been five when Melena died, but still... "Take this." She thrust the stuffed animal into Fiyero's arms.

"What are you doing? We have to go, now!"

"I can't leave without this. This is the only photo of all three of us together." He sighed, hurrying down the stairs. She rose onto her toes, quickly lifting the framed photograph off the wall, holding it to her chest.

"Fabala, come on!"

Without a second glance, she rushed down the stairs. "Come on, I've got the photo. Give it to me!" She handed it to Mulhama, before grabbing Fiyero's hand and rushing down the steps.

"Wait! Nanny!" The girl rushed back to the woman, throwing her arms around her. "Come with us!"

"I can't, my sweet. I don't have much longer yet. My age is catching up with me and my health is failing. I will not be here much longer. But I needed to make sure you and your sister got out before I passed." She slipped something into Elphaba's hand, before reaching up and taking her face in her hands. "When I'm gone, you'll know. And don't grieve for me, darling, for I'll be as free as you and your sister." She kissed Elphaba's cheek.

 _"Fabala, come on!"_

"Hurry, now, hurry!" The girl did as told, taking a moment to look back at the house she'd been born in, spent her tortured childhood in, and at the woman who had dedicated her life to her and her sister. She blew a kiss towards the old woman, before climbing into the car and slamming the door. Once the door was closed and Elphaba safe, Mulhama gunned the engine and pulled out of the drive, speeding down the street, passing the Governor's car as he came back to the mansion, just minutes apart.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

"We are _never_ doing that again, Fabala. That was _way_ too close to call."

"Agreed." Mulhama threw in, as they finally pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Once the car stopped, the trio got out, making their way back into the hospital. When they reached Nessa's room, Elphaba strode to the bed, kneeling down and laying Mr. Monkey by her sister's side. Nessa slept soundly, but curled around the monkey in her sleep. She kissed her sister's forehead, stroking her fingers through the girl's mahogany hair. "Nessie? Nessie." Slowly, the girl opened her eyes. "I have to go back to Shiz, but I'll be back. And once you're strong enough, in the next few days, Yero and I will come down and get you out of here, okay?"

The girl nodded, sleepily. "Did you... box?"

"I did. I'm gonna keep it with me, until semester ends, okay?" The girl nodded again. "Now get some rest."

"Love... Fabala..."

"I love you too, Nessie." She whispered, kissing her forehead again before slipping out of the room. She turned to the nurse who'd stepped out of the room to give them space. "When will she be-"

"About a week. And then she'll need time to get used to the wheelchair-"

"She'll have plenty of time to get used to it. My husband and I will take care of her while Fabala and Yero are away at school." Mulhama spoke up. The nurse turned to her.

"And you are?"

"Mulhama Tigelaar." The woman started in surprise before shaking her hand.

"The... the Queen of the Vinkus?"

All Mulhama did was smile, neither confirming or denying the woman's question.

* * *

"So... explain something to me."

"Depends on what you want explained, Fabala."

The three sat in a small diner, not far from Shiz. Elphaba sat next to Fiyero, absentmindedly stealing Fiyero's fries. In one of the extremely rare occasions, Mulhama had allowed the teenagers something besides salads or the like in regards to a high protein, energy-burning meal. After the stresses of the day, she knew exactly how a simple burger and fries could calm the anxiety; it was her remedy for such days.

"Who exactly _are_ you?" She waved the fry at the older woman before taking a bite. "I mean... I know you're a famous former figure skater and you were married to Liir Kolenkof, _yada, yada,_ but besides all that. _Who are you? Exactly?_ And why did you give that name? You're not married to a Tigelaar- those are Yero's parents. Cause back at the hospital, you didn't exactly say anything against or for the nurse's question."

The older woman took a sip of her drink. She studied Fiyero, who snagged the pickle from Elphaba's plate, taking a bite. A soft laugh escaped her throat at the look of disgust on Elphaba's face. " _Yuck._ How can you eat pickles?"

"How can you not?"

"Because I _hate_ pickles." A moment passed, before the green girl turned back to the older woman. "So? Are you going to answer or not?"

Mulhama sighed. "I was a figure skater, and my first husband _was_ Liir Kolenkof."

"And?"

She shook her head. "That's all. There's not much more to my story."

"Oh, come on! You and Liir had the greatest love story in sports history! You met when you were children, married at seventeen, and then... you know, he died at twenty-four... so it's a tragedy, but it's a still a love story! Did you have any kids?"

Mulhama bit her lip. Kids? Of course she'd had kids. But how did she tell them? Where did she even _begin_? Her gaze drifted to Fiyero, who said softly to Elphaba in Vinkun, making her laugh. How did she even begin to tell the young man the mystery of his birth, his very existence? For only she knew the full story of what had happened, only she knew the truth. She shook her head. No, it was too risky.

"A story for another time, my sweet."

"What? That's not fair! Mulhama, come on! One story!" The woman shook her head, standing. "A tidbit then! A fact! Anything! Throw me _something_ here!"

The older woman thought a moment, glancing at the girl. "I had a son, when I was about eighteen."

* * *

They returned to Shiz later that evening, around the dinner rush. Several students watched in silence as the pair gave the woman who dropped them of a hug, promising to take care of the things they'd managed to rescue from Colwen Grounds, and that she'd see them in a couple days for practice. Once she was gone, the pair headed- not for the cafeteria- but for the ice rink.

"Fabala-"

"I need to skate, you know that, Yero. If I don't do something to stop thinking, I'll keep replaying today over and over in my head-" He kissed her, gathering her to him.

"You don't need to skate, not tonight."

"Then what do I need?" She huffed, pulling away from him and crossing her arms, onto to let out a squeal and grab onto him as he scooped her up. Once she was settled nicely in his arms, he met her gaze.

"A proper wedding night." He whispered, kissing her soundly.

* * *

The door to his dorm slammed shut and locked behind them. He held her against the door, kissing her soundly, running his hands over her body and up to hold her hands over her head, as he moved to kiss her neck. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she grabbed the bottom of his shirt, tugging it over his head, before walking him back to the bed and shoving him onto it. She then straddled him, working on his pants-

He pulled her top off her, tossing it aside and then working on removing her sports bra. He yanked the ponytail tie out of her hair, sending the silky black strands cascading down her back in a waterfall of scented blackberry. Now completely nude, they gave in to their desire, touching, kissing, caressing, allowing themselves to give into the desire they'd discovered that night at the rink.

 _Love we feel's unspoken..._

It always had been. From the time they were children, they'd had a crush on each other; that crush had slowly turned into love that had boiled beneath the surface for years. Neither had to say the words to know that they loved each other; they were simply there. They had always been there. And they had always, silently, loved each other. That didn't change, now that they were married.

She dug her nails into his back, and he groaned, driving harder into her. She dug her nails harder, crying out as he brought her closer.

* * *

She awoke hours later; Yero was curled into her, sound asleep. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, her body aching pleasantly, becoming lost his her thoughts. _Here in the darkness, I feel you at night... my darling, Yero... my husband... knowing that your love..._ She sighed. _That your love makes everything right... even the deepest of wrongs..._

After a moment, she slipped out of bed, dressing quickly. Sneaking silently out of the room, she sprinted down the stairs and out of Briscoe, heading for Crage. Being as quiet as she could, she entered her dorm, grabbing her ice skates and her cordless speaker along with a few other things, before slipping once more out of the room. Without a word, she dashed out of Crage, heading for the ice rink.


	15. Chapter 15

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018- Licia**

She had the rink all to herself. As she sat on a bench, tying one of her skates, her gaze flicked to the notebook she'd brought. She had an idea for a song, she just couldn't think of the right words. So far, all she had was a title, one that was shaky at best.

 _When We Awaken_

She sighed, slamming the notebook shut, and standing. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto the ice, started her music, and began to skate. She loved these moments, when she had the ice to herself, and didn't have to worry about... everything. When she could just be an ice skater; a girl who wore sparkly costumes and competed against other girls to be the best. When she could pretend that flowers were being thrown for her, and that her scores for artistic performance, presentation, and technique would be high enough to secure her a spot on that podium and a medal around her neck.

She loved Yero, she truly did, but there were times when she wondered what it would be like if she'd gone into figure skating instead of Roaring. Would she still be as renowned in skating as she was in Roaring? If she had dedicated her life to skating over Roaring, would she be the darling of the skating world?

 _"You have to choose, Fabala. Figure skating or Roaring, you can't compete in both. You can study in both, and practice in both, but not compete. Competing in both has never been done; it's never even been heard of before. Think long and hard, Fabala."_

She had chosen Roaring, but what would have happened if she'd gone the other way and chosen figure skating instead?

So preoccupied with her thoughts, she missed her landing, rolling several times before landing on her stomach. A soft groan escaped her, and she pushed herself onto her elbows. "Fucking-"

"Toe pick!"

A pair of skates stopped in front of her, and she looked up, to find Fiyero standing over her. "Very funny, Yero." She pushed herself up, taking the hand he offered, and allowing him to help her up. "What are you doing up? When I left, you were still asleep-"

"Woke up to find you weren't there. Figured you'd probably gone back to your dorm, but I couldn't go back to sleep."

"So you came out here to skate?"

"Where do I usually go when I can't sleep?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. The rink, just like me." They took off, doing nothing but skating around the length of the rink. "Hey Yero?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder about what would have happened if I hadn't joined Roaring?"

He glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"If I'd... chosen figure skating instead? Mulhama gave me a choice when I was about ten. Either figure skating or Roaring, and I chose Roaring. Do you ever wonder what would have happened if I'd decided on figure skating instead?"

He thought about it. "Not really. I mean... we'd have still both been at St. Prowd's, We just would have trained in different sports."

"You think we would have roomed together?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe, if it had been allowed." They fell into silence again, working on jumps, lifts, throws and basic turns. When Fiyero checked his phone, he was surprised to find it was an hour before dawn. "Fabala, let's head back. Get some sleep." She nodded, grabbing her phone and speaker and joining him.

* * *

 _He smiled at the little girl, who blushed. "Elphaba, your room is this way." Without a glance back, the woman led the little girl down the hall and towards the stairs. They were heading to the third floor. The figure skating students lived on the third floor, just like the ice dancing students lived on the fourth floor. He hoped he'd get to see her again._

She snuggled closer to him, arms slipping around his waist.

 _They all stood, watching the figure skaters practice, waiting for their own chance to practice on the ice; though his gaze was on one skater in particular. Her long black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and she wore a dark blue skirt and a matching sweater, with white skates. The girl was in the middle of performing an I spin with an ankle hold, her left leg vertical with her body. Once she finished, she curtsied, and moved to leave the ice, following the other skaters as the Roaring team entered. He reached out, grabbing her wrist. "Hey."_

 _She turned meeting his gaze, and he blushed. "Yeah?"_

 _"You looked really nice out there." She blushed, pulling away and following the other students._

He buried his face in her hair, tightening his hold on her.

 _"Congrats, Fabala!"_

 _"Congrats on qualifying, Fabala!"_

 _"Congrats, Fabala! Are you excited? You get to go to the Ozlympics!"_

 _She turned, nearly bumping into him. Still dressed in her costume, she quickly ducked her hands behind her back. The black leotard with the short skirt, long sleeves and rhinestone decoration on the front only accented her green skin all the more, and her long black hair was in a tight bun with a white flower clipped into it. "Oh, hi, Yero."_

 _"Hi. I... I wanted..."_

 _"You wanted what?" She waited, as the other girls giggled and then scampered off, leaving them alone. He shrugged._

 _"I wanted to... to..."_

 _To ask you out. He thought. But instead, he stuck his hand out. "To wish you congratulations on making the team. Her face fell; clearly it wasn't what she'd been expecting._

 _"Oh." She reached out, taking his hand. "Thanks."_

He curled around her tighter, despite her soft groan of annoyance.

 _She had won Gold in Gillikin in the women's singles skate. Overall, she'd been one of about twelve gold medals won at the Gillikin Ozlympics. He'd watched her win, and had determined that he'd talk to her that night, before dinner. He quickly pushed himself away from the wall, as the elevator doors pinged open, only to find her inside, wrapped in someone else's arms. "Oh, Yero, hi. Going down to dinner?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _He stepped inside, trying hard to ignore the man as he whispered something in her ear, making her laugh. Once they made it to the lobby and stepped out of the elevator, he grabbed her arm. "Fabala, can we talk?"_

 _She nodded. "I'll be right there, Avaric." Once he was gone, she turned to him. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" He opened his mouth to speak, when he caught sight of the ring on her finger as she reached up to tighten her ponytail. She caught him staring and blushed. "Yeah, Avaric proposed and I said yes." She bit her lip. "We were going to tell everyone at dinner tonight. So... what did you want to talk about?"_

 _He shook his head; since when had she been dating Avaric? When had she met Avaric? He mentally kicked himself. Avaric attended St. Prowd's also, so of course they'd have met there. But how long? Avaric had never said anything; then again, Fiyero didn't exactly spend time with the figure skating crowd, and Avaric was one of the best in the mens' skate. "Nothing. Just wanted to congratulate you on winning."_

 _"Thanks, Yero." She whispered, pulling him into a hug._

He bolted upright, heart pounding. In the dark, reached for her, and she shifted, barely awake. "Yero? Wha's wrong?"

Instantly, his heartbeat began to slow when he heard her voice. "Nothing, Fabala. Just... just a nightmare that's all."

She yawned. "M'kay... go 'ack t' sleep..."

"I will, I..." He curled around her, burying his face in her hair, taking a deep breath. "I love you, Fabala."

"Hmm... love you too..."

It took him hours to fall back to sleep and by the time he finally did, Elphaba slipped out of bed, heading back to Crage to get ready before class.


	16. Chapter 16

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

"Watch your hold on her, Yero! Easy!"

She studied them, watched the pair as they moved across the ice; instead of working on Roaring, Mulhama decided they could take the day and work on skating. She didn't mean to push as hard as she did, but she knew that if she didn't, the students she trained would never reach their true potential.

And so she pushed, and she pushed hard.

Her gaze moved to Fiyero, watching as he effortlessly landed a triple axel, and she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. _If only you could see the young man he's become..._

Elphaba tumbled during her quadruple, pulling Mulhama from her thoughts, and without another word, she rushed to the girl's side. "Fabala! Are you okay?"

The girl looked up at her, catching her breath. "I'm fine, I just... got distracted..." She turned back, and the other two followed her gaze; several students sat in the bleachers, watching the pair skate. The older woman helped her to her feet, helping to dust her off, before moving to the crowd of students.

"If you're going to watch, I need you all to be quiet. Distracting my skaters is what causes injuries. So if you're going to sit here and watch, _zip it_!" She turned back to Elphaba. "Go get some water." As the two moved to do as told, Mulhama turned back to the ice beneath her feet. She remembered her years training on ice like this, in rinks like this. Her gaze moved to the young pair, who stood talking softly together.

 _Oh, to be young and in love again..._ She shook her head. _You were in love like that once, remember? You and Liir had perhaps the greatest love story in skating history. Married at seventeen, a son at eighteen... and then... tragedy..._

Leaving her charges to catch their breath, she proceeded to skate the length of the ice, becoming lost in her thoughts, her mind returning to that... that _day_. She'd gotten up early, taken a shower, leaving Liir asleep in bed...

 _But he wasn't sleeping. He'd gone to bed the night before, kissed you goodnight, closed his eyes... and never woke up, suffering a heart attack in his sleep, and you didn't even know._ The realization that he would never wake again had hit hard, and she'd been inconsolable for months after. Her gaze moved back to Fiyero and Elphaba, who were engaged in conversation, in between sips of water. _You'd been seventeen when you married him... and he'd been merely twenty... and Cattery had had a fit; your marriage had shaken the skating world, because there were four years between you... and when you had your son at eighteen, he was just two months shy of turning twenty-one..._

"So, what do you want us to work on next?"

Her thoughts were broken as Elphaba and Fiyero joined her again, and she swallowed hard the lump in her throat.

* * *

"Do you think Mulhama's acting... funny?"

Yero looked up from his book as Elphaba joined him at their table in the cafeteria that evening for dinner. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "She's just... quiet. And... distant."

He raised an eyebrow. "It's Mulhama. She's _always_ quiet and distant. That's nothing new." A sigh escaped her throat, and he closed his book, pushing it aside. "You're really worried about her, aren't you?"

"I just... it's like she's... pulling away from us."

"She's got a lot on her mind, Fabala. We've got Qualifications coming up, the skaters she also trains have Qualifications coming up-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, she's distracted." Elphaba waved it away. "I just... I'm worried about her, is all."

He took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Fabala, she's fine. But if you're really so concerned, I'll get in contact with her and make sure, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you, Yero."

* * *

"You ready for this?"

She met his gaze, tossing her braid over her shoulder. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not if we want to make the team." He replied, tossing her her broom. She caught it effortlessly, before slinging her duffel over her shoulder. Mulhama stood by the car, waiting for the pair. They had a train to catch; Qualifications would be a week-long process, which meant the pair would be missing a week's worth of classes- not that either were bothered by it. Both had gotten extensions on their homework or had gotten it early and finished it a week ahead. He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Come on, Fabala, don't stress. We've got this."

She shoved him lightly away. "Stress is what makes me play my best, remember?"

He chuckled, pulling her back to him, and kissing her soundly. "It also makes you gorgeous." She shoved him again, before pulling away and stalking towards Mulhama.

"Elphie!"

With a roll of her eyes, the green girl turned back, only to find Glinda and the other girls from Crage standing there with signs wishing them good luck. "Ah... what is this?"

"Good luck at Qualifications!"

"I can see that, Glinda, but... it's not like we're going to the Games. We have to see if we even qualify first-"

"I know." Glinda shrugged. "But what's that saying? Something about luck going-"

"A long way." Mulhama replied, joining Elphaba. She quickly took the girl's duffel, meeting the teenager's gaze. "Ready?" Elphaba nodded. "Yero, you coming?" With a nod to Glinda, the former skater headed for the car, and after a moment, both Elphaba and Fiyero followed. As the doors closed and the car pulled away, Mulhama turned her attention back to the window, and the students who now stood at the gate, waving their signs and shouting wishes of good luck. "I'd say you two have your own little cheerleading section."


	17. Chapter 17

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N:** **Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

"I'm nervous, Yero, what if we don't place? We've been working our _entire_ lives for this chance, and what if we don't place? What if we don't qualify? If we don't qualify, then we don't go to the Games."

"Fabala, deep breath. We got this, remember?"

"But Yero-"

He kissed her, to get her to stop talking. He kissed her to get her to relax. He kissed her because it was the only thing he wanted at that moment- the taste of her, the feel of her lips on his-

Neither noticed the camera zoom in on them as they stood just outside the Roaring rink, waiting to take their places. He slid his arms around her, pulling her closer as she slipped her arms around his back, deepening the kiss.

 _"Now would you look at that!"_

 _"Talk about a kiss for good luck!"_

The crowd cheered; back at Shiz, students gathered in the student lounge of the Admissions building to watch Qualifications. Whoops and hollers were directed at the pair, but they were so wrapped up in each other-

"Better?" Fiyero asked, pulling away. She nodded, swallowing quickly. "Ready to do this?" A moment, before she nodded, accepting the broom he held out to her.

"Yeah, let's do this."

As they stepped onto the ice, the crowd continued to cheer. As Elphaba moved to get into position, Fiyero leaned close, whispering softly, "We got this, Fabala. Remember that."

* * *

"What's happening? What'd I miss?" Glinda wiggled into her seat between Milla and Crope; she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom, and hurried back, afraid she'd missed something.

"They're down by two. The other team is currently ahead."

On the screen, Elphaba and Fiyero were deep in conversation. She gestured to the stones on the ice with her broom, and he nodded, before appearing to make a suggestion.

"If they don't qualify, it'll crush Elphie."

* * *

She took a deep breath.

It all came down to this.

After a week of qualifying matches, of beating out other teams and ties, of practices and constant scribbling of plans, it all came down to this moment; if they didn't win, they wouldn't go to the Games. But if they won...

Fiyero stood on the other side of the ice, leaning on his broom; he caught her eye, nodding to her. _You got this, Fabala. I have faith in you, love._

Taking one more deep breath, she pushed off, before releasing the stone. Several tense moments passed, before she called for Fiyero.

* * *

 _They've got this, you've trained them well. They know how to play the game, they know the moves, you don't have to worry._

She nibbled on the end of a finger nail as she watched Elphaba release the stone. They knew, that no matter what happened with this match, that she was proud of them, that they'd done their best and that it wasn't their fault if they lost the match. That there would be other Games, other chances to compete. But she also knew that if they lost, both would carry it around for weeks; they'd both pout and run the match over and over again in their heads.

 _They're both so much like you in that respect. Every little thing that goes wrong, they replay. She worries, but he replays until it dies._

She and everyone else watched with bated breath. Time seemed to slow; the minutes ticked by at an agonizing pace. It was as though they were watching a movie-

 _"And they've done it! Thropp and Tiggelar have won the match! They've qualified for the Ozlympic Games!"_

Thunderous applause and cheers filled the stadium; without a word, Fiyero tossed his broom aside, skating back to Elphaba and scooping her into his arms. Everyone watched as he swung her around in excitement before setting her back on her feet. He whispered three words to her, before pulling her close and kissing her deeply before once more breaking the kiss and scooping her into his arms.

Mulhama bit her lip. Even though it was only Qualifications and not the Games themselves, it was still that excitement, that rush in the air, that those very Games were not so far away now. That what they'd been training for was now within their grasp. _Just like our Games. When we went as a Pair... qualifying was half the rush and excitement of the actual Games._

"Mulhama! _Mulhama, we did it!_ Mulhama!"

She made her way towards the pair, wrapping them both in a hug.

 _"And I'm sure this is a very proud moment for their Coach. And there she is, former three-time Gold medal Ozlympian figure skater Mulhama-"_

 _"It's been a long time since we've seen her back on the ice! Not since Liir Kolenkof's death has she been-"_

 _"She mainly coaches now- both figure skating and Roaring, and it's evident that she's done well as a coach because these two are perhaps her finest students!"_

 _"There's no doubt, this is definitely a proud moment-"_

"We did it, Mulhama! We're going to the Games!" Elphaba squealed as the older woman pulled her into a hug. Not since her last Ozlympics had she been this... proud. It was as if she were a teenager again...

"I'm so proud of you! Of both of you!" She whispered; Elphaba buried her face in the older woman's shoulder, feeling the firm kiss Mulhama pressed to her forehead. After several minutes, she turned to Fiyero, holding her arms out. The young man wrapped her in a hug, burying his face in her shoulder as she rubbed his back. "You've done wonderfully, Yero. You both have." She pulled away, reaching up to take his face in her hands. Gently, she brushed her thumbs against the apples of his cheeks, before leaning up to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "I'm so proud of you, my son."


	18. Chapter 18

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

 _"I'm so proud of you, my son."_

He had to have heard wrong; it was the roar of the crowd around them that made it seem like she'd... but before he could ask, Mulhama pulled away, going back to Elphaba, who wrapped her arms around the older woman with a squeal. He watched the two women who had played such prominent roles in his life from the time he was a child, and a tiny part of him suddenly found himself questioning everything he knew.

"Yero. _Yero!_ "

He looked up, pulled from his thoughts by Elphaba's voice as she reached for his hand. "Yeah?"

His wife furrowed a brow briefly, her smile faltering slightly, before shaking it off. "Dinner at your parents' place? It's been such a long time since we've seen them-" He nodded, catching something flash in Mulhama's eyes.

* * *

Elphaba smoothed the skirt of her short black dress with the puffed sleeves. The skirt of the dress hit just above her knees, and she wore a pair of simple black heels; her long black hair cascaded down her back in curls. "Do you think they'll remember me?"

He tugged her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "How could they forget the girl they took in all those years ago?" She nodded, squeezing his hand as they waited for the door to open. Light soon flooded the porch of the modest palace, and Elphaba found herself staring into familiar blue eyes.

Sarima Tiggelar smiled softly, eyes lighting on the girl she'd raised alongside her son. "Elphaba! My Oz, look at how you've grown!" She instantly wrapped the younger woman in a hug, one which took a huge weight off Elphaba's shoulders before turning to her son. "Yero! Congratulations on placing!"

They were quickly ushered into the foyer and led into the parlor-

"Ah, Mulhama? What-" Both teenagers were stunned to find their coach deep in conversation with Fiyero's father. Instantly, all conversation stopped, as Mulhama's striking blue eyes landed on her star performers. Elphaba immediately went to the woman, placing a kiss on her cheek, while Fiyero just stood there, studying the older woman.

 _Blue eyes. Mahogany hair. A slightly upturned nose. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear Mulhama looked almost exactly like-_

"Shall we eat?" He turned as his mother came back in from the kitchen, and started, eyes widening as he found himself staring into Mulhama's identical features.

* * *

"Yero? Honey, are you okay?"

He looked up, pulled out of his study of his fish by Elphaba's hand on his wrist. He forced a tight smile, knowing that he couldn't hide it from the adults, and not missing the glances Mulhama and Nastoya shared. "Are you all right, Fiyero?" Mulhama's husband asked, taking a sip of his drink. The young man nodded, and slowly, the table fell back into conversation-

"Are you two twins? Is that why you look so much alike?"

All conversation stopped, as several pairs of eyes turned to the young player. "Yero, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, _come on_ , Fabala, don't give me that innocent act and tell me that you _haven't_ noticed the near identical similarities between our coach and my mother."

The green girl glanced from her husband to their coach and the woman she considered a mother and back, brow furrowing. "They do share... similarities."

"Similarities." He scoffed softly. "It's like looking in a mirror." He turned his gaze to both women. He'd been stewing about this ever since the match, ever since Mulhama had called him her son, and he was going to get to the bottom of it, regardless of whether it disrupted dinner or not. "So are you twins? Or just sisters who look really similar?"

The two women in question shared a glance; Nastoya bit her lip while Mulhama set her glass down. She sighed, turning to the young man before her. "You're right, Yero. Sarima and I are sisters. Twins. We're identical."

"But... at the hospital the other day, you used Tiggelar-" Elphaba started, and Mulhama held up a hand.

"That's because I am a Tiggelar. By birth. Tiggelar women don't change their name when they marry unless they wish to. We keep our name in this family, and pass it on to our children."

"But... I married Yero, so..."

"You weren't born a Tiggelar." Nastoya replied softly. "Those that are born into the line keep the name, unless they decide not to."

"But Mulhama-"

"When Liir and I were married, I _chose_ to take his name. It was only after his death that I went back to using my maiden name, but the whole sports world knows me by Kolenhof, and so I coach under that name. But outside of the sports world and the ice rink, I'm a Tiggelar."

Fiyero nodded slowly; that explained why his mother and Mulhama looked so similar- they were sisters.

"So... you're Yero's... aunt?" Elphaba asked as Mulhama bit her lip. "But... wait... you said that you and Liir had a son, when you were eighteen. What happened to him? Is he okay? Is he still alive? Where is he?"

The older woman swallowed thickly, her words from after the competition coming back to her. _My son._ How could she possibly tell Elphaba about her child without exposing the truth- the whole, confusing, heart-wrenching truth? Her gaze darted to Fiyero, who sat waiting for her to respond, and her heart wrenched, as thoughts of her former husband pushed to the forefront. _Oh, Liir, my love, what do I say? How do I tell them? Where do I even begin? What if he never forgives me?_

A moment passed, before she glanced around. The blood pounded in her ears, and she stood from the table, needing air. "Mulhama?" Sarima reached for her, but she shook her sister's hand off, rushing from the dining room with a soft apology. The others watched her go, before Sarima slowly stood, following her sister out with a silent nod.

* * *

"You had to know that he was going to discover the truth some day, Mulhama." The former figure skater turned, finding her sister standing on the back porch, arms folded across her chest. "He's no longer a child. You can't hide this forever."

She shook her head. "This was supposed to be so simple, Rima," She whispered, meeting her sister's gaze. "He _loves_ you. You're the woman who _raised_ him, you're his mother-"

"And so are you, but in a way I could never be." The queen replied, moving down the steps and hurrying to her sister, taking her hands. "And don't you dare pretend that that year you and Liir had with him wasn't important. It was exceedingly important, to both of you. To all of you."

Mulhama shook her head, tears trailing down her cheeks. "He'll never forgive me once he finds out the truth. He was raised a Crown Prince. How can he possibly go from that to... to a..."

"To the son of a _historic Ozlympian figure skater_ with _ten_ medals total under her belt, three of those medals being _Gold?_ Mulhama, he loves you like a son already, because he _is_ your son." She reached up, brushing a tear gently off her sister's cheek. "Oh, Mulhama. You're carried this way too long-"

"I gave up my son," Mulhama whispered, swallowing thickly. "In pursuit of my _career_ , Sarima. _I gave up my son in pursuit of my career!_ I essentially _abandoned_ him! All so I could... could..."

"Could build your own life."

"How is pursuing my career building my own life, Rima?"

The queen reached up, taking her sister's face in her hands. "You created stability, for yourself and your family, so that when you _could_ take him back, he'd never want for anything. Your intentions were good, Mully." She whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "And once you explain that, I'm sure, after he takes it all in, he'll understand why you did what you did, why you gave him to me and walked away." She pulled her sister close, and Mulhama rested her head to her sister's shoulder.

"And after Liir's death?"

"Oh, Mully, you weren't able to care for yourself, let alone a child after Liir died. You needed time to yourself-"

Mulhama pulled away and started to pace. _"Eight years, Rima! Eight years, until he started training at St. Prowd's! How do you explain that?"_

"You just-"

 _"What am I supposed to say, Rima?_ 'Guess what, Yero, the woman that you _thought_ was your mother all these years _isn't actually_ your mother, she's your aunt! I'm your mother!' Yeah, that would go over _real well_ , Ri-"

"Is that why you called me your son today after the competition?" Both women turned, to find Fiyero coming down the back porch steps; Elphaba stood in the doorway. "Because I actually _am_ your _son_?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

Mulhama took a deep, shaky breath, feeling Sarima press a soft kiss to her cheek before the other woman pulled away. The queen made her way up the steps, gently squeezing Fiyero's shoulder. " _Listen to her_ , Yero. Get the full story before you start jumping to conclusions and making accusations." She pressed a soft kiss to his temple before going to Elphaba.

"What's going on?" But Sarima gently took Elphaba's arm, leading her back into the palace with a soft,

"This is something that's been a long time coming."

Once they were gone, Fiyero turned back to Mulhama, who couldn't look at him. Her gaze studied the stone at her feet, tears sliding down her cheeks in silent rivers. Fiyero watched her for several minutes, his mother's words- no, wait, was Sarima even his mother?- ringing loud in his head. From where he stood, she looked like a scared little girl, huddling in the corner of a room, away from her parents' arguing. A part of him wanted to forget what he'd heard and go back into the palace, back to dinner, but he couldn't get his feet to move; he stayed rooted to the spot. So instead, he took to studying her.

He never realized exactly how small and lithe Mulhama was until now; she'd had to be, to be a figure skater, and a world-renowned champion at that. Her tiny, petite frame stood no taller than roughly five foot four, and he imagined the formidable force she'd been on the ice in her younger years. And when she'd partnered with Liir...

He realized now that he'd never actually seen video of her skating. He'd never seen the spins, tricks, lifts and throws she'd attempted and succeeded in her career as a figure skater; he knew only what she herself had revealed to him over all these years, which, in all honesty, wasn't much. But her love story- the success and tragedy that was her partnership, relationship, marriage and widowhood to Liir Kolenhof- was known throughout the sports world; Mulhama had left the ice for three years after Liir's premature death, refusing to step foot on an ice rink until a young skater named Zoria Diggs had come to her, asking to be coached by only the best. Mulhama had at first refused, before finally deciding that yes, coaching she could do. But she would never skate again; she had been a pairs skater, would always be a pairs skater, and her partner was gone, reducing their pair to a single.

 _But other than that, you know next to nothing about her. And what you know, you've been told for years, which means it has to be true. But this... this..._ He shook his head, sending his thoughts scattering. After a moment, he moved down the steps, stopping at the bottom, not wanting to get any closer. Before he could say a word, she spoke, her voice soft and choked with tears.

"Wh... what do you want to know?"

He sighed. "Who _are_ you?"

She swallowed, keeping her gaze locked on the stone at his feet, her voice devoid of emotion as she rattled off basic facts. "My name is Mulhama Kolenhof. I'm Sarima Tiggelar's twin sister, Crown Princess of the Vinkus. I'm a former champion figure skater; I have over twenty medals, all in pairs, three of those being Ozlympic gold. I met Liir Kolenhof when I was five and he was eight; we were placed together for pairs, but didn't start competing together until we were eleven and thirteen, respectfully. Over those ten years, we attended six Ozlympics, taking home one silver, two bronze and three gold in the pairs competitions. We married when I was seventeen and he was twenty. Liir died of a heart attack in his sleep at twenty-four."

"And?" He asked softly, waiting. Slowly, her gaze lifted, locking on his.

"I had a son, Liir's son, at eighteen."

He didn't blame her, for not acknowledging that he was her son now, when she had back at the tournament. He didn't acknowledge her as his mother, though they didn't for very different reasons. He had no idea what was truth and what was fiction anymore, and she... she had obviously been carrying this secret for seventeen years...

They stood in silence, Mulhama worrying her bottom lip, before she shrugged half-heartedly, lifting her arms in a sign of defeat. _"What more do you want to know, Yero?"_ She choked, turning around before taking a seat on the bench she stood near.

Her hands slid over her thighs in nervous fidgeting before finding purchase between her knees, and she swallowed. He moved closer, slowly, arms crossing his chest. He watched her, noticed how her nose wrinkled every time she sniffled-something he did as well when he was upset and trying hard not to let his emotions or tears get the better of him. He watched as her leg started to shake, a nervous habit from being forced to sit still, and thought of the countless times Elphaba had to slide a hand over his knee to get him to stop, because it was so subconscious, he no longer noticed that he did it. He could see the gears shifting and turning in her head, how she was worrying and worrying this confrontation over and over, until it would die, and then she'd go back later on and resurrect it to worry it again.

He stopped directly in front of her, with only a few inches separating them, and let his gaze rove over her; her long, thick mahogany hair was similar in shade to his, and he watched it fall into her eyes in that similar wave that his did to him. As he stood over her as she sat on the bench, it struck him just how... how _tiny_... she truly was. Incredibly, surprisingly, tiny. And if what she and his mother said was true, then this tiny sprite of a woman, this champion ice skater, this incredibly petite force of nature, both on and off the ice, had given birth to him.

He took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. "Did..." He stopped, teeth sliding out to worry his bottom lip in a gesture that mirrored hers from earlier. "Did you... did you really give birth to me?" She nodded. "Are you _really_ my mother?"

"Yes."


	20. Chapter 20

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

Her quick response startled him, and his eyes widened in shock. He hadn't actually expected her to say yes; he'd expected her to say that no, she was really his aunt, and this was all some cruel joke she and his mother had pulled at his expense. But as he looked at her now, eyes bright with tears, teeth worrying her lower lip, hands trapped between her knees as she at on the bench, he knew, in the deepest part of his soul, that this wasn't a joke. That this was very, very real.

Her blue eyes met his, and after a moment, she reached out, patting the bench beside her. "You're going to... to want to sit for this. It's a long story, if you want to hear it."

He studied her for a moment, before slowly taking a seat, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees and fold his hands before him. He said nothing, giving her the floor. She was silent for several minutes, before meeting his gaze. "I was five, when I met your fath- when I met Liir." She amended softly, lifting a hand to gesture towards him before returning it to its place between her knees, fingers lacing. She swallowed, the memory of their first meeting filling her head. "He was eight, and my mother, your... your grandmother... had put Sarima and I into ice skating lessons to keep us occupied. Sarima quickly decided that skating wasn't for her, and quit, but I loved it. We were at the local rink, and I was skating around, when this boy shoved me down as he passed. I went..." She chuckled softly.

"I went skidding across the ice, scraping up my chin and both my knees, and when our nanny came out to take us home, I got up and went _charging_ back towards him, clear across the rink, our nanny chasing after me. I slammed into him from behind, and somehow managed to duck down low enough that I plowed into his knees, sending him flailing, but I wasn't fast enough to get out of the way, and he fell back, landing on top of me. He was much taller and heavier than me, and I was certain he was going to crush me, but he didn't. Instead he climbed to his feet and called me a 'talentless freak' and that I should go home to my mom because I didn't belong out on the ice. In retaliation, I kicked him in the shin, hitting him with my skate just right that I cut a good-sized gash in his pants and into his skin. I kicked him so hard, he crumpled to the ice crying for his own mother." She chuckled softly. " _That_ was my first introduction to Liir Kolenhof."

Fiyero couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at his features; for some reason, he could imagine Mulhama's reaction behind exactly that. She smiled softly, before glancing at him to continue. He gestured for her to, and she sighed. "I was sent to St. Prowd's a year later- at special request by the ice skating coach. Most students don't attend Prowd's until they're about seven or so- you know the drill." He nodded. "I ended up rooming with him. Cattery Tippertarius, the skating coach, told us that we were now a pair, and that as a pair, we therefore needed to live together and learn how to anticipate each others' movements, because pairs skating is 'all about being one with your partner, both on and off the ice'," Fiyero chuckled softly as she imitated her former coach's voice, air quotes and all. She rolled her eyes.

"It didn't go over well; the first two weeks, we fought like cats and dogs. My mother was certain it would never work, but Cattery," She sighed, reaching down to grasp the edge of the bench beneath her. "Cattery was certain it would. She never gave up on us, not once." A shrug. "And it did... our first competition, we didn't even place on the podium. We got fourth. Cattery told us it was because we didn't trust each other enough, so she locked us in a broom closet together and left us there for two hours when we returned to St. Prowd's, telling us that by the time she let us out, we better trust each other to the point where, if she set our room on fire, we'd be willing to jump from our third floor window, and not leave the other behind." She chuckled softly at the horrified look on his face. "Cattery was known for her exaggerations, and if it got you to do something, all the better." A soft sigh escaped her throat, as she looked up into the stars. "Our first kiss was shared in that broom closet during those two hours."

"Did you love him?"

"Then?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, and he nodded. She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head as she tore at her cuticles, giving herself time to get her thoughts in order. "No. I was eleven and he was thirteen. We knew nothing of love at that age." Her mahogany waves tumbled over her eyes, and he leaned forward slightly, as she tossed her head in a motion similar to one he would do when his hair did the same to him. "I didn't fall in love with Liir until I was about..." She stopped, thinking. "fourteen or so. I was injured during a competition practice- landed wrong during a throw and broke my ankle. He thought he'd thrown me too high, and that I couldn't complete my double axel, and that was how I'd gotten hurt. In reality, I got both doubles, but when I went to land, instead of landing slightly bent, my leg locked straight on the way down, and when I went to land, it didn't bend, so I turned to compensate and ended up _over_ compensating; by the time my knee unlocked, my ankle had twisted so fast that it'd broken and I went down. I ended up in surgery."

"An injury like that, it could have cost you your career-"

"It was only with extensive therapy that I _didn't_ lose my career." She replied, meeting his gaze again. "It wasn't his fault, it was mine and I knew it. But Liir took the brunt of Cattery's wrath, sparing me the lashing; he said that he threw me too hard and not high enough, and _that_ was what caused my injury- not my overcompensating. He was with me every day after; it was right around then that I realized I was in love with him." She clicked her tongue, turning her gaze to the stone at their feet. "We dated in secret for months, until we finally decided it was safe to tell everyone. Cattery didn't approve- at first- and my parents weren't exactly happy that I was mixing business with pleasure, but when they all realized how serious we were, they relented." She glanced at him. "You look a lot like Liir, when he was that age."

He watched her, seeing the mist gathering at the corners of her eyes. It was evident, very evident, that she was still deeply, deeply in love with Liir, even though years had passed since his death and she'd since remarried. Clearly, Liir was the love of her life. She looked around, a smile tugging at her lips.

"We got married, in this very backyard, with only our parents and Sarima in attendance. It was the week before the sixtieth Ozlympic Winter Games, and we had decided weeks earlier that if we were going to represent the Vinkus as a pair, then we were going to do it the right way- as a true pair, and so we got married." She shrugged. "Simple as that."

"It caused a scandal, didn't-"

Mulhama rolled her eyes. "It only caused a scandal because married couples didn't compete in the Ozlympics at the time- and if they did, it wasn't as a pair, it was in a singular category- singles skating, skiing, and the like. Competing in the Games as a married couple- especially in pairs _skating_ , wasn't heard of. It was considered taboo in some countries. But we told the board, that we go as a pair, a _married_ pair, competing in the pairs skating event or not at all. They relented, and that year, we made our debut as a married couple. We'd already won Ozlympic medals in pairs before, but that was the year we first won gold. Liir said that our marriage was our good luck charm." She chuckled softly. "We were the only skaters to win gold that year. Our win in no way got rid of the papers- I think part of the reason it was so scandalous is because I was seventeen and he was twenty. It wasn't heard of, marrying that young then, and it caused an uproar."

Fiyero listened patiently, having no idea that Mulhama and Liir's marriage had at one point threatened their very chance at Ozlympic gold. He felt a twinge of sympathy for the former pairs skater, that she'd had to endure such treatment at the tender age of seventeen. A moment passed, as he swallowed thickly before asking, "And... and me?"

She met his gaze, brow furrowing. "What about you?" He started, and she shook her head. "Oh, right. You." A giggle escaped her, and she closed her eyes briefly. " _You_ ," She breathed, looking skyward. "You were the start of a _whole new chapter_ for Liir and I."


	21. Chapter 21

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018. - Licia**

How, exactly, did she describe the sheer terror she'd felt at realizing she'd gotten pregnant? The fear that Liir wouldn't want to become a father? That she was terrified that having a baby would be the end of her career, when she was in the prime of her competing life? She glanced at Fiyero, who sat beside her, waiting, patiently. How did she describe the incredible well of emotions she'd felt as her pregnancy had progressed? Or the worry and doubt she'd felt when her labor had started? Or the overwhelming joy at holding him for the first time, after his birth?

She bit her lip. "You..." She sighed, reaching up and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes before slipping her hand back between her knees. She turned her gaze to the stars above, tears filling her eyes, as she thought of Liir, and how thrilled he'd been. "I just knew." She finally whispered, turning her gaze back to his. He furrowed a brow. "The night we conceived you. I just knew. It was... different. Special."

She lowered her gaze, taking a deep breath. Next to Liir's death, Fiyero's birth had been the hardest thing for her to deal with, for some reason. Liir's death was easy- she'd lost the love of her life, her only love, and she would never recover from it. But the birth of her son-

"I think I knew."

"Knew wha-" She held up a hand, and he stopped.

"I think I knew, I _always_ knew, that I would give you up. From the moment I realized I was pregnant, I think I knew."

"I don't understand." He whispered, and she sniffled, a shaky breath escaping her vocal chords.

"A woman knows, Yero. And when she's pregnant..." She sighed, lifting her head and turning her gaze back to the stars. "Old... Vinkun superstition says that when a woman is pregnant, with her senses heightened... she can sense things yet to happen. Silly superstition, but... now that I think of it..." She sniffled. "maybe the ancients were right. I... I had this... overwhelming sense of... foreboding. That I would lose both my child and the love of my life... I was right." She turned to him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Cattery was... equal parts furious and overjoyed when Liir and I told her I was pregnant. She allowed me to keep skating until I about... five months along or so. And then my weight began to shift and the changes in my body became more evident, by then the entire skating world knew about my pregnancy, and I was forced to take it easy. I could skate, but I couldn't compete; I wasn't allowed to do any of the lifts or tricks or throws I was so used to doing, and there were days when I cursed Liir from here to the Great Gillikin Forest for getting me into that situation... I was more upset over my inability to continue skating and competing. Not you. Never you. I loved you, from the moment I got pregnant."

She reached out, but he didn't take her hand; she wasn't expecting him to. He watched her, for several minutes, before she withdrew her hand, returning it between her knees.

"So I cost you your career?"

She started, a look of shocked horror crossing her features at his words. "Oz, no! Yero-" She shifted to face him, and Fiyero saw how young she truly looked. In this moment, she appeared no older than he or Elphaba. "My career was there long before you and it was there long after you came into my life." She sighed, a tiny chuckle escaping her throat. "You were born the night of Nationals, actually." She met his gaze, a wiry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Liir and I were here, visiting Rima and my parents, and we had the television on; we were watching the competition. Just because I couldn't skate didn't mean I wanted to be kept entirely out of the loop. And right as the competition started, my water broke. I wasn't even aware of what was happening. Sarima helped me up so I could get a glass of water, and suddenly I felt liquid start to slide down my legs. Liir realized what was happening before I did."

Fiyero scoffed gently; he had so many questions, but he knew better than to interrupt. So he let her continue. She studied him in silence, her voice taking on a softer tone.

"Ten hours. I went through _ten hours_ of labor that night. All of the injuries I'd accrued in practice over the years, all of the bruises and broken bones and sprained ankles and pulled muscles and rink burns... they were _nothing_ compared to the pain I went through that night. And when one contraction ended and I thought I could catch my breath and finally relax, another would show up, until it was this never-ending cycle of pain. I didn't understand how my mother could do this- I was only going through it once, and she had done it twice in one night." She chuckled. "And through it all, he was there. He never left my side, not once. Not even when I screamed at him to go away, to never touch me again, to... go _castrate himself because I was never doing this ever again, as long as I lived..._ " She laughed at the memory. "Liir was there through it all. He was my support, my strength when I decided that I couldn't do this, that I couldn't become a mother and I wanted it all to stop. He let me talk and rant and rave, but he never let me give up. Not even when the doctor was telling me that all I needed was one last push, and I was insisting that I couldn't... he never let me quit. He was my strength when I needed him the most." She shrugged, tears slipping down her cheeks. "And then... suddenly it was all over, all the unimaginable pain was just... gone." She sniffled. "And the doctor lifted this... tiny squealing baby from between my legs and... laid him on my chest and... told me that I had a son..." She stopped, lips thinning into a line. Her gaze moved from his, towards the stone at their feet.

"I'll never forget the look on Liir's face, when he laid eyes on you... you were _beautiful_. The most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And you were _mine_..." She swallowed thickly. "Suddenly, all the medals, and championships and competitions in the world didn't matter, they didn't compare. They were nothing but... pale illusions of what I thought I wanted. I had the most precious prize in the entire world, and... the only thing that mattered was that Liir and I were responsible for it." She met his gaze, quickly. "You were the _best thing_ to ever happen to Liir and I."

His blue gaze narrowed. "Then why did you give me up?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018. - Licia**

"I didn't give you up, not right away. You were with Liir and I for a year, before we... before we decided that giving you up would be better."

 _"Why?"_

She didn't miss the hardening tinge to his voice, and winced. She couldn't delay the truth of the matter any longer. If he got angry with her- which he had every right to do- and refused to listen or even ever speak to her again- which she couldn't blame him if he chose to- it was his right. Not hers. He had every right to be angry at her. She'd denied him it for far too long.

Nearly seventeen years too long.

"After you turned a year, I wanted to get back into skating, into competing. I wanted to try for the Vinkun Skating Team that was headed to the Ozlympics in two years time, and... I couldn't juggle being a mother with skating."

"So you gave me up? Just like that for your own _selfish reasons_?"

She took a deep breath. "It was more than that, Yero!" She replied, glancing back towards the palace, where she knew Sarima was keeping watch, quietly in the shadows. "Rima... Sarima couldn't have children. That's why Liir and I gave you up."

"What?"

She could see the surprise in his gaze, saw the anger that had been slowly building over the last couple of hours stall. It seemed to hesitate, waiting her out. "By then, Sarima had gotten married, but she couldn't conceive. Turns out... she's infertile." She swallowed. "And I... I wanted to get back into competing, so I came up with the 'perfect' plan. Or so I thought at the time." She sighed. "I asked Rima to take you; to raise you as her own, just until I could get back to where I'd been, and... and could create more stability for you. In the time between my pregnancy being announced and your first birthday, the sponsors Liir and I had earned were gone. We weren't broke, but we were barely surviving, and with a baby to raise..." She stopped, not daring to look at him. "I knew if we started competing again, things would get easier. We'd be able to earn more sponsors, and put enough money away to raise you. It was supposed to be temporary. A year, two, at most. Rima would get to be a mother, and I could get back into competing. And in that time, Sarima had come to love you as her own, but she knew that eventually, I would want you back... and just as I was about to ask-"

She choked, tears filling her voice, and she hung her head.

"Liir died." He whispered, and she nodded. Her small arms slid around herself, and she curled inward, doubling over as her small body wracked with contained sobs for the man she'd built her life, her career with.

 _"It was so sudden..."_ She struggled to catch her breath. _"He kissed me goodnight and..."_ She glanced up at him. _"The next morning..."_ She choked on a sob. _"He never woke up... he never woke up... died in his sleep... from... from a... a heart attack..._ _He left me alone... completely... utterly... alone..."_

 _"What about me? You still had me! You could have asked for me back-"_ He snapped, suddenly upset that she had been concerned with being alone when he'd been there, with her sister, her own son.

 _"My husband had just died! I was in no position to raise a child! Especially not on my own!"_ She cried, turning to him. " _I was in no state to take you back, and in all honesty, at that point, even if I had been, I wouldn't have wanted to! You reminded me too much of Liir, and I knew I wouldn't have been able to live with the knowledge that my husband was not there to raise his son! I could barely take care of myself, let alone my child!_ _So no, I didn't want you back! Not then!_ _And the longer I thought about it, not ever."_

His mouth dropped in shock, and after a moment, she stood, moving away from him. "I realized not long after the funeral that... that I wasn't fit to be a mother. And Rima was doing a perfectly fine job of raising you, that if I asked for you back, you wouldn't want to come. Why would you? You were being raised as _the Crown Prince_ of the _Vinkus_. How could that _possibly_ compare to being the son of a former Ozlympian? It _couldn't_." She turned back to him. "So I never came back. Rima kept me updated; how you were doing in school, how tall you were getting, what your favorite hobbies were, but I never asked her too. She did it of her own volition."

"Wait, so you just-"

"I walked away and... and then you showed up at St. Prowd's eight years later, with a talent for Roaring, and... Rima asked me to coach you. I refused at first, but... but she wouldn't let me out of it. Most of the other coaches thought it was just the young queen exerting her power over one of her subjects; none of them knew the truth. She begged me too, with the argument that, _"He's your son, Mully. If you can't find the strength to raise him as his mother, as you should be, then raise him in Roaring. Teach him to love this like you loved pairs. If Liir left you any little piece of himself behind, it's Fiyero. You created him, you carried him and gave birth to him, not me. You named him, not me. He was your brave little lion, from the moment you conceived him, isn't that what you told me? Isn't that why you gave him the name you did? You knew he'd help you get through Liir's death, even then. You just need to let him in. And if you can't or won't as his mother, then let him in as his coach. He may never be a pairs skater like you and Liir, but if he can find even_ a tenth _of the joy in Roaring that you found all those years ago in pairs, then you'll have done more than just given birth to him. You'll have made sure Liir's legacy lives on in some form, especially since it's his son."_ I only agreed if she promised never to tell you the truth. And... even now, Rima kept her promise. She never told you. She just... made me tell you myself."

She let her gaze move to his. In all honesty, she wasn't surprised to see the boiling rage bubbling up to the surface, and she didn't blame him. She was expecting much worse, if she were completely honest with herself. And there was still a chance this could go completely, horribly wrong. But she wasn't prepared for what happened next.

In two quick strides, he was in front of her, and in what was less than seconds, but felt like minutes, his hand had made contact with her cheek. She started in complete surprise. Fiyero had never struck anyone, especially not his coach; he'd been raised a gentleman, to never hit a woman, no matter how angry he got. _Fight with words, not with fists_ , as his... uncle? Father? always said. But this...

"How _dare_ you call yourself my mother. You said it yourself, you never wanted to be. You were only ever concerned with your own career, your own life, that you _never once_ thought about mine. Selfish doesn't even begin to describe you. Narcissistic is what you are. Narcissistic and conceited and... evil beyond compare." He studied her for a moment. "Evil doesn't even fit. It's too soft. _Wicked_ is more appropriate."

And without another word, he turned and stalked back into the palace, storming past his parents and Elphaba. The door to the study slammed shut, but Elphaba watched as Sarima rushed to her sister, who crumpled to the ground. "Mully, _talk to me_! Mully, _what happened?_ Mully-"

 _"Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone, Rima?"_ Mulhama cried, turning to her sister, as Sarima gathered her into her chest, rocking gently back and forth. _"Why couldn't you leave my past alone?"_


	23. Chapter 23

**Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

 **A/N: Written: 2009. Found: 2018.- Licia**

A soft knock sounded on the door, but he didn't look up from the flames dancing in the grate. He heard the knob turn; once, twice, three times.

"Yero? Yero, let me in. Yero!"

She jiggled the knob, to no avail. He briefly tore his gaze from the flames, before going back to them. _Go away, Fabala. Please, just go away._

"Yero!" Again, she jiggled the knob, before slamming a palm into it. _"Fiyero, open up! It's me! Please!_ " Another slam. _"Fiyero!"_

 _"Go away_ , Fabala!"

 _"Yero, don't do this! Please! Don't shut me out! Shut the others out- your parents and Mulhama, and the rest of the Oz-damned world for all I care, but don't shut_ me _out! I'm your wife!"_ She struggled with the door, unaware of the others having returned inside, that they were watching. _"Yero, please!"_ But he ignored her; a moment passed, before she rested her forehead to the cool wood, choking out a sob. But her tears only lasted a moment, before she straightened, pulling away from the door. "Fine. Be that way. Shut me out, when I did _nothing_! _I did nothing to you! Nothing!_ But go ahead, give me the same treatment you're giving everyone else! Just remember that when you need a sympathetic ear, the one who was willing to listen, _you drove away_." She turned, only to come face to face with the sisters.

Neither female said a word, though a thousand questions and answers passed between them. And in that short time, the young man had slowly gone to the door and unlocked it, easing it open an inch. He watched in silence before slowly opening the door wider and slipping out of the study. A moment passed before he cleared his throat, and all three turned to him.

He met each woman's gaze, before finally landing on Elphaba's, knowing what he was about to say was going to hurt her the most. Her dark eyes were filled with unshed tears, and she took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with a determined lift of her chin. The meaning was clear. _Go on, say whatever you're planning on saying._

"Fabala, I'm so sorry." His whisper was soft, and didn't reach her ears, though she watched his lips form the words, and her brow furrowed in confusion. He then let his gaze wander over to Sarima and Mulhama. Neither sister said a word, though now, he could evidently see what made them twins. And yet, he also saw what made them so different; the weight of the world rested on Mulhama's shoulders, and she bit her lip, glancing quickly at Sarima as the young queen took her hand, squeezing gently. A moment passed, before he spoke. "I can't do this anymore."

"Do... do _what_?" Elphaba asked, her voice choking on the question. He met her gaze, mentally kicking himself. This would destroy her career, if not destroy her, and he was the known cause.

" _This_."

"This? What _this_?" She demanded, holding her arms out. "You're not making any sense, Yero!"

"This. This! Roaring! I can't do Roaring anymore! I can't! I just... I can't do it anymore."

"Fiyero!"

"Yero, please-"

"Wait, so you're... you're _what_? _Quitting?_ Just like that? Over some... some... some long-kept family secret? You're _throwing_ your career away- _and mine!_ \- simply because you found out something that Mulhama had good reason to hide? All over some... some slight? Do you... do you even understand what you're saying? What you're _doing_? Do you _understand_ how this is affecting me? I lose my sponsors, _my very career_ , if you walk away!"

"You can find someone else-"

"I don't _want_ to pair with anyone else. I don't _want_ to _double_ with anyone else! I want _you_!"

"Then become a skater. It's your next strength, Fa-"

 _"I'm not a skater, Oz-Damn it! I'm a Roarer! And I'm a Doubles Roarer!"_ She screamed, small hands balling into fists. Mulhama had seen Elphaba lose her temper on very rare occasions, but this... this was pure heartbreak she was experiencing. Fiyero winced, but didn't respond. "How dare you! How dare you do this to me! To us! How dare you walk away right before the Games! How could you?"

"Fabala, you don't understa-"

" _I_ don't understand?" She cut him off, eyes going wide. " _Me?_ Who's mother died when I was a baby, who's _sister_ is _crippled_ , who's father _abused_ her- _I don't understand_? _I understand that you have a set of parents who adopted you, who raised you and loved you, despite your background! I understand that you have a birth mother who loved you so much she gave you up so that her sister could experience what she did! Who returned to her career so she could earn enough sponsors to build a better life for you! Who had the tragedy of finding her husband- your father- cold in their bed, and still, managed to get up every morning because she had to! Despite what Mulhama did, or maybe because of it, you have had the best life anyone could ask for! You were raised a prince! An Oz-damned prince of the Vinkus! And you have talent! Amazing talent! Natural talent! Talent I would have killed to have been born with instead of this hideous skin! And Mulhama... your mother coached you- a three-time Gold medal Ozlympic champion figure skater! A fucking Ozlympic medalist! And your father was a skating champion! Who, from what I could figure, loved you deeply! I would kill for that!"_ She lower lip trembled. "I would kill for your life, Yero, _despite_ the secret Mulhama hid. You don't know how fucking lucky you are. And what's worse?" She shrugged. " _You don't care_."

She glanced down at the chain around her neck. A moment passed, before she reached up, removing it. The simple pendant shone in the light, and she looked up at him, tears sliding down her cheeks. She quickly closed the gap between them, taking his hand and dropping it into his palm. "You can have this back. I don't want it anymore."

He shook his head. "No, Fabala-" She pulled away, stepping back.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Her dark eyes met his. "I married you, _thinking_ that I was marrying a man who would put my hopes and dreams first before his own, put _me_ before him, but I was wrong. Clearly you don't care about anyone but yourself. You're _exactly_ like my father, Fiyero Tiggelar. And I hate you." She choked on a sob, shaking her head as he reached for her. _"I hate you so much."_

And without another word, she fled, her sobs breaking his heart.


End file.
